final report - JRC IPTS - Sustainable Production and Consumption ...

EXTENDED SUMMARY
Objectives
The study is intended as an input to the end of waste compost case study in order to obtain background
information about the material flows of the most important types of organic residues and wastes which
are used for the production of compost, the various areas of compost application and markets and the
regulatory frame work in place in EU27.
Task 1: Identify compost classes
Where Member States have established regulations for the production and use of compost, the
identification of one or more materials, use or quality related compost types and classes can be found.
We have to distinguish between precautionary criteria which are intended to protect the environment
and the consumer from any not acceptable negative impact from using the compost and those which
relate to certain use aspects in specific application areas. While the first ones are typically found in
statutory frame work legislation the latter ones are rather elements of voluntary standards and market
related quality assurance schemes.
Precautionary compost classes
The most common classification relates to maximum concentration levels of the seven classical heavy
metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn).
Where more than one heavy metal related class are laid down they are mostly linked to specific
application areas such as agriculture and food production (e.g. class 1) or landscaping and land
reclamation (e.g. a lower class 2). Further precautionary parameters with limit values are impurities
(physical constraints such as visible particles of metals, plastics and glass) and pathogenic indicator
organisms such as Salmonella ssp., E. coli, Enterococcae etc.. Both are in principle part of existing
compost standards and regulations.
Organic pollutants are only part of compost criteria where sludge or mixed waste is ruled in as
potential source material (FR [where compost can be produced from mixed waste], DK [where
compost and sludge is subject of one unique regulation], AT [for the compost type waste compost
from MSW only]
Identification of the input materials that may be used to produce compost
Another important aspect is the definition of input materials which may be used for the production and
marketing of compost. Those positive lists may also be classified as precautionary tool in order to
exclude potentially polluted materials from being re-distributed to the environment. As a consequence,
legislation and standards link certain compost designations to the category of input materials used (e.g.
the term quality compost is restricted for compost produced from a specified positive list of ‘clean’
source separated waste materials, whereas compost from mixed municipal solid waste (MWC) must be
named waste compost or stabilised biowaste or similar) and/or specified areas of application which are
considered to show different levels of sensitivity (food – non food).
However, input material classification is defined as compost type, where 9 types could be identified:
biowaste compost (source separated collection of organic household waste), green waste compost,
VFG compost (vegetable fruit and garden waste without meat), biomix compost (including sewage
sludge), bark compost, manure compost, sludge compost, MSW compost or stabilised biowaste
(produced in MBT plants from mixed residual household waste).
In general we find rather a more or less extensive positive list than a list with material exclusions. The
most prominent waste groups excluded from compost production are
• Municipal Sewage sludge: BE/Fl, DE, FR, LU, NL, SE, UK
• Mixed (not source separated) MSW: BE/Flanders, DE, FI, LU, NL, UK
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COMPOST PRODUCTION AND USE IN THE EU