International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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29/09/09
this respect, then after this period has elapsed, the quality label can be regranted;
Step Step Step 3: 3: 3: If there are still any problems: The Quality Label will be withdrawn. If
the plant wishes to participate again in the QAS, they have to re-apply for the
Quality Label and re-submit to the approval procedure.
While Step 1 can be an automatic procedure, the second step might be discussed
and decided within the committee of independent experts of the QAS. The quality
assurance/certification has to have a kind of an official status, as withdrawal affects
the economic prospects of the compost plant. 711
36.11 Lessons Learned
Feedstocks and maximum environmental benefits
A study undertaken by Eunomia illustrates that the ability to maximise environmental
benefits associated with the collection of household kitchen and garden waste is
most effective when these are collected separately, with the majority of kitchen waste
able to be processed via anaerobic digestion to produce energy and digestate (which
could subsequently be applied to land as a nutrient source), and the garden waste
treated via windrow composting to minimise costs. 712 This example illustrates the
importance of defining input materials and collection systems in determining the
subsequent environmental benefits associated with compost production.
Hygienisation requirements
The default 12 mm particle size required prior to material entering the reactor/unit
according to the ABPR 208/2006 has created difficulties in practice for many
composting plants. In Finland, for example, the compost had to be screened after 10
days and the composting process then started again on the finer material in order to
meet this requirement. Finland has subsequently changed its hygienisation process
for catering wastes, allowing a maximum particle size of 40 mm and timetemperature
requirements of 60 ºC for 14 days or 65 ºC for 7 days, with a growing
number of plants opting to meet their hygienisation requirements via process
validation.
End-User confidence in the product
Switzerland provides an example of the need to ensure confidence of farmers in BTPs
in order for the closed-loop recycling of organic wastes to work effectively. Back in
2002 and 2003, the agricultural sector was becoming nervous regarding the use of
sewage sludge on their land because of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy reports;
many long-term users of sewage sludge rapidly lost their confidence in the quality the
711 D. Hogg, J. Barth, E. Favoino, M. Centemero, V. Caimi, F. Amlinger, W. Devliegher, W. Brinton and S.
Antler (2002). Comparison of Compost Standards Within the EU, North America and Australasia.
Report for the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
712 Eunomia (2007) Dealing with Food Waste in the UK, Final Report for WRAP.