Cooperative Composting & Biogas production

What is the Community Composting What is the Community Composting Network?Network?

218 Members in England, Wales and Scotland Full, Associate and individual membersFull members – not for profit organisations

very local bio-waste management services

most are not ‘waste – orientated’ have a need for compost mostly garden wastefood wastenot much “humanure”

Previous Projects:Previous Projects:

Grundtvig: Growing with CompostEuropean education based project. Working with FoE Slovak Rep., Czech University of Agriculture, Ecological Recycling Soc. & IASON (vocational trainers), & REEUSE.To create, demonstration sites, website, toolkits, training materials & events.

SPAN : Sustainable Production Across NeighbourhoodsUK sustainable development project.Working with Federation of City Farms, HDRA, Permaculture Association.To give assistance to communities who want locally produced food by providing experts, information tools & events for sharing and disseminating information & best practice.

Current Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scaleCurrent Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scale

Current Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scaleCurrent Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scale

Current Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scaleCurrent Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scale

Current Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scaleCurrent Aerobic In-vessel Technology for small scale

Food Waste in the UKFood Waste in the UK

On the Farm : ?

Processing: 4.6m tonnes of food waste in the UK (13% of total output)

Supermarkets & Retailers: 1.6 million tonnes

Households: 6.7 million tonnes

12.9 million tonnes of food waste and wasted food

in the UK

Redistribution of unwanted Food

Phases of the CCN project:Phases of the CCN project:

1. Identify & Define suitable systems

2. Create a guide for assembly & operation Test build at least one demonstration

plant

3. Install pilot plants in a number of TSO Project sites and provide training & support

Throughout:Document experiences and best practiceDisseminate via training; events; web;

blogs; video

Micro AD in ContextMicro AD in Context

Scenarios:1. Community Centre & Growing Project2. All on-site3. City Farm4. Urban Community Centre5. Locally centralised food waste

processing6. Community Supported Agriculture

closed loop 7. Mobile Bio-digester – for events and for

demonstration purposes

Micro AD in ContextMicro AD in Context

1.Community Centre & Growing Project

Tyneside Cyrenians

Micro AD in ContextMicro AD in Context

3. City FarmMK Christian Foundation

Micro AD in ContextMicro AD in Context

5. Local centralised food waste processing Wyecycle

Aims and Goals of the Project 1:Aims and Goals of the Project 1:

1.Identifying and describing suitable systems within a range specified by the CCN (members of the AD steering Group):

• Between 0.5m3 and 10m3 • To process between 5-100 tonnes material

annually• Food waste a priority but also sewage; sewage

sludge; animal manure; and pet manure (cat and dog)

• Not so much garden waste• Produce a sanitised NPK fertiliser for

horticulture• Must be gas – safe• Must meet UK regulations

Aims and Goals of the Project 2:Aims and Goals of the Project 2:

2. Components and Operation Manual for a system:

• Size 1m3 of a digester tank volume• Substrate primarily foodwaste, solids content 5%

solids (dry matter), slurry type digester• Particle size reduction via a waste

grinder/chopper/mill or macerator • Suitable mixing & buffer tank for mixed substrates• ABPR compliance to include a simple

pasteurization unit and HACCP procedure; monitoring and testing equipment & proceedure

• Biogas storage and piping floating dome or similar compliant with relevant gas regulations