Welsh worms win waste work [Always avoid alliteration!]

The Western Mail reports that Welsh entrepreneurs have pioneered a way to turn biodegradable household waste into an “aphrodisiac for plants”, using 32 million “workers”. With the help of millions of worms, the transformation from rubbish to fertiliser takes less than two weeks, and the company has won cash backing from the National Assembly to develop the process.



Pioneered by John Winslow and Malcolm Rich of Brecon-based VitalEarth Group, the scheme not only helps tackle the massive problem of what to do with the rubbish, but produces a natural plant food which makes a dramatic difference to plant growth, appearance and disease resistance, according to experts. The fledgling company, assisted by business support specialists Entrepreneur Action, has won a £175,000 Regional Selective Assistance grant from the Assembly to help establish three sites operated by council rubbish disposal contractors LAS Waste. The sites, at Lampeter, Pembroke Dock and Johnstown, near Carmarthen, will eventually employ 25 people.



They have also lodged planning and licensing applications for several sites in England. Wales produces 1.5 million tonnes of domestic waste a year, much of it biodegradable. Currently, only 7% is recycled, but the mandatory target for the UK is 25% by 2005 – hence the recent speculation that householders may face a “black bin-bag” charge for rubbish collection.



With the support of the Welsh Development Agency, Mr Rich and Mr Winslow spent two years developing a computer controlled “Rapid In-Vessel Composting System”, which accelerates the normal decomposition process from around two months to just seven days [not sure about this claim – KS]. In full-scale production, the waste will then go through a vermistabilisation plant, where around 32 million worms will be introduced.



Tonnes of worm droppings, called casts, which contain hormones that stimulate plant growth, will be collected each day and marketed as “Vitalizer”, which is already proving popular with gardeners. The process has attracted widespread attention, with local authorities facing new waste recycling targets