Composting, Compost Quality and Utilisation in the EU · Statutory Standards EU Standards for heavy metals Country Standard mg/kg DM] Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Zn AT Compost Ord. Class A

www.compostnetwork.info

Statutory/voluntary compost standards+ Specific issues and needs in the North

Josef Barth, ECN and INFORMA, Germany


Waste or Product? Pros + Cons

Pro waste property• Governmental control on collection,

treatment, reuse and destination• Environmental safety-> Preferred solution in Northern Europe (D/UK)

Pro product property• Free trade, even over borders• Flexible production in the plants• Market can be fully developped

⇒ The more sustainable solution

www.compostnetwork.infoEC => "Waste property ends after compost is used"Possibility 1: After high quality source separation

When does waste property end?And the Legal Point of View

§

Possibility 2: After qualified treatmentPossibility 3: After quality control (QAS)Possibility 4: After professional application


EU Legislation and standards

EU Draft Discussion Document Biowaste & Sludge 2004 „Compost should be considered a product only if it has been produced from separately collected biowaste.”

+Separatecollection =

Qualitymonitoring

Productstatus

EU Soil Strategy Working Group„Contamination“• No „NET accumulation“ of heavy metals in soil• Better: Longterm „save application“

Proposed Waste Framework Directive WFDSets requirements for end-of-waste/product standards


From Waste to a Marketable Product

Unspecified Recycling Product Compost

Statutory StandardsStatutory Standards((Precautionary principlePrecautionary principle -- regulates harmful aspects)regulates harmful aspects)

“Complementary” Statutory Standards Additional regulations not only for compost (e.g. fertiliser laws)

Voluntary Standards (+ Quality assurance systems = QAS)a) define a common product standard (e.g. organic matter, pH)b) exact product + application specifications (e.g. mixture ratios)

Market and Marketing StandardsE.g. packaging, image, PR, advertisement ... like peat products

Market requires a standardised compost in a defined high quality with exact specifications for the use


Statutory Standards in the

EC Working Document for a Biowaste Directive

Annex 1: Positive list of suitable raw materials Annex 2: Hygiene requirements for composting/AD Annex 3:

* Quality classes based on heavy metal contents * Application restrictions (class 2 -> 30 t/ha and y) Annex 4: Frequency and type of analysis Annex 5/6: Requirements for location + emissions


Statutory StandardsEU Standards for heavy metals

Country Standard mg/kg DM] Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Zn

AT Compost Ord. Class A 1 70 150 0,7 60 120 500

BE/Fl. Agricultural Ministry 1,5 70 90 1 20 120 300

DK Agricultural Ministry 0,4 - 1000 0,8 30 120 4000

DE Biowaste Ord. Type II 1,5 100 100 1 50 150 400

IRE Draft 1,5 100 100 1 50 150 350

LUX Environmental Ministry 1,5 100 100 1 50 150 400

NL Class “Compost” 1 50 60 0,3 20 100 200

ES/Kat. Class A (Draft) 2 100 100 1 60 150 400

SWED Quality organisation 1 100 100 1 50 100 300

UK TCA Certificate 1,5 100 200 1 50 150 400

Requirements for precautionary standards are higher in the North


Rigid limit concentration

German Similar to Similar & reality of compost]

mg/kg dmSoil type Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Zn

LOAM/SILT 1.1 64 49 0.56 55 76 207

SAND 0.46 33 27 0.14 17 44 112

CLAY 1.63 107 70 1.10 76 108 261

Warranty valuefor plant means 1.1 70 110 0,5 60 120 380

How many composting plants (%) mayguarantee those values ?

10 %

42 %

62 %


Organic Pollutants ...

North is more focused on organic pollutants

PCDD/PCDFng I-TEQ/kg d.m.

BIOWASTEcompost

GREENcompost

MSWcompost

SewageSLUDGE

Orientationvalues

rangemean

0.3 – 31.66.6

0.3 – 31.4 3.6 38 - 103 14,5 - 20 17 – 50

PCBs mg/kg d.m.

BIOWASTEcompost

GREENcompost

MSWcompost

SewageSLUDGE

Orientationvalues

rangemean

0 – 0,580,04

0 –0,120,024 0,7 – 1,6 0.01 – 0.05 0,1 –0,2

PAHsmg/kg d.m.

BIOWASTEcompost

GREENcompost

MSWcompost

SewageSLUDGE

Orientationvalues

rangemean

0.08 – 13.02.45

0.09 – 11.32.15 3.1 – 9.4 0.1 – 3.6 3 – 10




Statutory Standards(Precautionary principle - regulates harmful aspects)

“Complementary” Statutory Standards “Complementary” Statutory Standards Additional regulations not only for compost (e.g. fertiliser lawAdditional regulations not only for compost (e.g. fertiliser laws)s)





Complementary Statutory Standards

• Soil protection regulations

• Water protection laws• Environmental laws for the

production and plant (emissions ...)

• Fertilising and fertiliser laws




Statutory StandardsStatutory Standards(Precautionary principle (Precautionary principle -- regulates harmful aspects)regulates harmful aspects)


Voluntary Standards (+ Quality assurance systems = QAS)Voluntary Standards (+ Quality assurance systems = QAS)a) define a common product standard (e.g. organic matter, pH)a) define a common product standard (e.g. organic matter, pH)b) exact product + application specifications (e.g. mixture ratb) exact product + application specifications (e.g. mixture ratios)ios)




The Role of Independent Quality Assurance


Quality labels for compostand digestion residuals

UKQAS Monitoring in total:

620 plants with capacity of9 million tons composting

and 2,5 million tons digestion










Expectations on Compost

94 % of theprofessionalcompost userswant to have:

A standardised and independently supervisedhigh product quality accompanied by exactspecifications for use


EU Quality Ranges and Sales Prices for Compost

High qualitycompost

Greenhouses EUR 20-40

Sports turf EUR 15-40

Landscaping EUR 10-20 Top soil mix

EUR 10-15Nurseries

EUR 15-35

Hobby . gardensEUR 5-20

Landfill coverEUR 0-4

Wine andfruitEUR 2-4

Organic farms EUR 2-6

Agriculture EUR 0-4

High price marketLow price market

Additional specifications

NORTH

Standard qualities


Product specification

Field of use

Major requests and marketing opportunities

Limiting factors

Nursery and pot cultivation

• Hydrological features • Plant disease control • Buffering capacity

• Salinity • Stability • Particle size

Field crops and landscaping

• Organic matter • Nutrient content

• Nitrogen • Texture

Land reclamation • Organic matter • Heavy metals • Nitrogen

developed in co-operation with users organisations

+ Tender documents for e.g. landscaping architects


Recommandations and Specifications for Use


Scandinavian ExamplesSolum DK: product sale in 2004

0 5 10 15

Golf GreenMix-topsoilGolf GreenMix-topdresPure compost private

Pure compost gardenersFootball-Mix topsoil

Large tree-Mix topsoilUnder pavement StoneMix-topsoil

Common topsoil with compostLoamy SuperMix-topsoil

Light SuperMix-topsoil

% of totally sold










Marketingwith posters

Blühende KaffeefilterBlooming Coffee Filters

creates benefitOur soilTasty Green Cuttings

creates benefitOur soil

MarketingStandards


Marketing: Advertisement

T h e P o w e r o f C o m p o s t

The more healthy the soil, the better the harvest

Advertisement in magazines by several producers/plants


Professional Marketing

FLORATOP Compost presentationin a supermarket.










Statutory or Voluntary?!

Type of Standard Statutory(Law)

Voluntary(QAS)

Precautionary standards(Heavy metals, PTEs)

yes no

Product quality standards

no yes

Production standards(except hygiene)

no yes

Product specifications no yes

Application standards yes partly

The system must be flexible = voluntary to work !!


Summary

Separate collection and Quality Assurance QAS makescompost a product:

• Statutory standards (laws) are fulfilled• Product standards + specifications are given• Environmental safe use is guaranteed• Product property opens the market

=> North: more focussed- on org. pollutants and heavy metals - on additional product specification.- agriculture is largest but not preferred market

Composting, Compost Quality and Utilisation in the EU · Statutory Standards EU Standards for heavy metals Country Standard mg/kg DM] Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Zn AT Compost Ord. Class A

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