BSI PAS 100 quality compost producer Veolia Environmental Services launched its ground-breaking Eco-Farm Scheme at Little Bushy Warren facility, in Herriard, near Basingstoke, to a selection of local agronomists and growers on Thursday.
Supported by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the event presented a facility that produces 25,000 tonnes of BSI PAS 100 quality compost from 50,000t of green household waste a year, mostly for landscaping use.
Veolia would now like to widen its customer base to include and focus on agricultural companies, with the aim of improving soil organic matter levels and reducing the amount of fertilisers needed on farms, increasing yields and finding a long-term use for recycled waste.
Raquel Carrasco, manager of biological treatments at Veolia, told the group: “This is not new technology. It is a very traditional method. It is what can be done on a farm. We do it on a much larger industrial scale, which means we have to use specialist equipment to ensure we can achieve the same results in a shorter period of time and produce a homogeneous material. Our focus is in producing quality products; this is why we have robust and stringent quality management procedures in all our sites and PAS 100 certification.”
Both WRAP and Veolia believe that the compost produced at Little Bushy Warren can improve the level of organic matter in soil and therefore increase a farm’s productivity and profitability. Earthcare consultant and WRAP representative Anna Becvar said that the fertiliser replacement value of the compost could be up to £11 per tonne, depending on current fertiliser price.
She said: “WRAP is conducting 15 trials all over the country with a wide range of crops to build confidence in the use of quality compost. Trials have shown an increase in soil water holding capacity and workability, improved crop establishment and long-term yields - a seven per cent increase over an arable rotation. Apples in Kent brought a 24 per cent fruit weight increase last year when compost was used as a mulch.”
Becvar advised producers that the BSI PAS 100 certification provides a baseline quality standard for compost, ensuring it is consistent, safe and reliable to use.
Veolia’s composting manager at Little Bushy Warren, Edward Watson, told FPJ: “We have been on this site for a long time and various farmers around here use us, but we need to develop the market and find customers that want a continuous supply. It is a great alternative to increasingly expensive fertilisers; this is a fertiliser replacement. We are now looking for growers that will want to set up long-term contracts for a set amount of compost and a fixed price.”
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