Web-Resol Tudo sobre Limpeza Urbana e Resíduos Sólidos!
New approach to collecting organic waste could revolutionise kerbside collections
The UK‘‘s biggest ever study into composting practices has reported its findings. The Integrated Composting programme (ICP) is a series of seven projects, analysing different aspects of the composting chain including: methods of collecting organic waste, setting up different types of composting facilities and investigating potential end-markets for compost.
One of the most exciting projects could revolutionise the way green waste is collected at the kerbside following a successful trial of 300 households in the London Borough of Bexley.
The ICP was made possible with funding of £1.5M from SITA Trust, through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. Key findings from each of the studies were as follows:
Collection
The most cost effective and productive way to collect organic waste from households through kerbside collection was found to be using compacting rear end loading vehicles with two person crews. The ICP trialled an innovative system using specially designed aerobic bins with biodegradable removable bags, which householders filled with household organic waste. The system has proven to be a great success with up to 5.2kg/household/week of organic waste diverted from the residual waste stream
Separating organic waste from retail outlets was shown to be difficult because of the high turnover of staff. Regular training was needed to reduce contamination of organic waste with other waste types.
Establishing Composting Facilities
Constructing a high quality compost site was shown to be possible in as little as eight months from outline proposal to completion for a site consisting of a concrete pad, push-up walls and leachate management.
Setting up composting schemes on farms and using the product as a soil improver proved to be successful and this was demonstrated to be a large potential market for compost.
A scheme in Gateshead demonstrated the procedures involved in establishing a composting scheme that meets BSI PAS100 quality standards for compost.
End-markets for Compost
A scheme in Scotland, which enabled local people to deposit green waste at a council facility and receive free bags of compost in return, proved there was a market for the 500 tonnes per annum produced from the local waste stream. The scheme also demonstrated ways to encourage local community participation in recycling schemes.
A project demonstrating the benefits of compost use in the establishment of wildflower meadows proved that there was increased yields in the flower species sown and greater diversity in flower species overall where compost was applied.
John Leaver from SITA Trust said: "The ICP report is essential reading for anyone setting up or running a composting scheme. Each of the projects was set up from scratch, which means many lessons could be learned and the report provides detailed information about the costs and approach to setting up each of the schemes."
Artigos Relacionados
Check Also
Waste management poses challenges, but could unlock major environmental and economic gains
Every day, the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the largest metropolises in the Southern Hemisphere, generates 17,000 tonnes of waste, ranging from large industrial debris to candy wrappers bought innocently at newspaper stands. While this waste presents a serious and urgent environmental challenge, it also fuels an increasingly significant portion of the economy, with benefits extending beyond financial gains. - When we look at developed European countries, many are already recycling between 40% and 50%, with some reaching 60%. From an economic standpoint, both recyclable materials and organic waste hold tremendous value - stated Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary for Environment and Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), during the Methane Forum: Climate Emergency Brake, at the Rio Nature and Climate Week. Citing a 2025 report, Maluf mentioned that Brazil literally throws away R$27 billion annually, while municipalities spend significantly more - R$45 billion - managing all this waste, often overlooking the environmental impact or economic potential buried in landfills and dumps. - We spend R$45 billion to collect and dispose of waste in landfills, yet we manage to recycle less than a third of the potential. I believe it will be necessary to review contracts, create performance-based remuneration mechanisms, and pay for both effectively sorted materials and those diverted from landfills - he added. According to the IBGE, 60.5% of Brazilian municipalities adopt some form of selective waste collection, and several initiatives serve as examples of how to manage city waste. In his panel presentation, Bernardo Ornelas, Project Coordinator at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Urban Cleaning Company (Comlurb), highlighted Ecoparque do Caju, a national benchmark in waste management and recycling. There, received materials are sorted and can be used for biogas production, organic compounds for urban gardens, or human consumption, in the case of still...