The PAS 100 was prepared and published by the British Standards Institution (BSI )and build on an existing TCA standard. It improves confidence in composted materials among end-users, specifiers and blenders, and helps producers differentiate products that are safe, reliable and of high performance. TCA has adopted bsi PAS 100 as the specification that composted materials must meet in order to achieve the independently verified Composting Association accreditation and use of the tca logo. 

bsi PAS 100 was developed following extensive consultation across the compost industry. It only covers biodegradable materials that have been kept separate from non-biodegradables, and applies to composted materials produced at centralised, on-farm and community composting facilities. It does not extend to end products of home composting for self-use. The elements covered by bsi PAS 100 are outlined in the summary document available for download Introduction to bsi PAS 100:2005 (243 kb)

Following a period of intensive stakeholder review and consultation, the British Standards Institution's new PAS 100:2005 has now been published. The updated PAS, which builds on its predecessor by including a number of improvements and efficiencies, has been widely welcomed by stakeholders across the composting industry.

Amongst the changes in the new PAS are:

• Introduction of a new compost stability test to the PAS baseline for compost quality
• Addition of sewage sludge cake and biodegradable packaging (certified to standard EN13432, DIN V 54900 or ASTM V 6400) as allowable inputs, subject to adequate risk control
• Enhancement of Hazard Analysis and Critical Point (HACCP) planning for all compost hazards
• Updated sanitisation guidance and composting batch monitoring requirements that are more pragmatic
• simplified minimum frequency for compost sampling and testing

bsi PAS 100 was only the start of WRAP's work to develop a dynamic market for quality composted products. Working with tca, WRAP developed a compost specification for the Landscaping Industry. The Compost specifications for the landscape industry (2598 kb) were issued in November 2003.

WRAP has also worked with the horticulture industry to develop a set of guidelines for specifying composted green materials in growing media. The guidelines were developed in association with the Growing Media Association.Compost and growing media manufacturing in the UK, opportunities for the use of composted materials (2220 kb)  and launched in June 2004