Composting
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Local authorities

There is no doubt that your targets for reducing the percentage of landfilled municipal waste are challening. However, since 60% of this waste is biodegradable, large scale composting is an excellent solution.

The change in modus operandi that this necessitates is no longer daunting, thanks to the introduction of BSI PAS 100.  Without ambiguity, this specifies the best practice in UK composting and will be a powerful benchmark in your waste strategy. 

What matters about BSI PAS 100

BSI PAS 100 is the only certification scheme of its kind in the UK to give third party assessment and verification of conformity with the standard.

  • Guarantees the highest quality, best value, most reliable and safest product;
  • Guarantees the contractor has implemented a thorough quality control procedure and takes responsibility for the methods and materials used;
  • Provides the contractor with a marketable product that will be increasingly in demand, thus securing a reputable outlet for your organic waste;
  • Promotes well-run sites that don't create a local nuisance.

Certification in action

BSI PAS 200 envelops the entire process of compost manufacture, in immense detail, from raw material to finished product.

The contractor needs to:

  • Demonstrate the overall quality control policy;
  • Provide full records to demonstrate that materials were selected/rejected, stored and prepared appropriately, from a traceable source, and were stored in a sanitary fashion;
  • The product is under intense scrutiny in laboratory conditions;
  • Tested for pathogen levels, PTEs, physical contaminants and weed seeds;
  • Must be stored, classified, labelled and marked accurately.

Uses for compost

Many, if not most, are appropriate to the municipal areas under your control:

  • Soil conditioner/improver;  
  • Mulch;
  • Growing media component;
  • Top dressing for turf;
  • Turf renovator and establisher;
  • Topsoil top-up;
  • Replacement for inorganic fertiliser.

BSI PAS 100 guidelines

These guidelines have been drafted as an easy tool to be used when drawing up contracts for the operation of large scale, licenced composting facilities.  They will help to properly refer to BSI PAS 100 in Local Authority Waste Management Contracts. Specifying the BSI PAS 100 (27 kb) [pdf]

Managing Garden Waste at Civic Amenity Sites - Good Practice Guide (2701 kb) [pdf] - this good practice guide is about collecting and handling garden waste at Civic Amenity Sites.  It is intended for recycling officers and other within local authorities who have responsibilities for managing and developing the segregation and handling of recyclables through CA sites.  The guide will also be of use to organisations contracted to operate CA sites on behalf of local authorities.  This guide is concerned specifically with garden waste in the municipal waste stream.

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