When The Community Composting Network was created in the mists of time, back when King Arthur was on the throne, the first conference delegates were girding their loins to dump truckloads of compost on the doorstep of No 10. Why? Because the waste legislation at the time was not geared up for community composting a concept not even dreamt of by the officials preparing the previous legislation. So, after several meetings with ministers from Elliot Morley (I wonder what happened to him) to Ben Bradshaw and countless meetings with officers and officials and teleconferences and briefings in London and Birmingham, after ten short years we finally have.... Da dah!!!
Exemption from Waste Permitting
T23 – Aerobic Composting and associated prior treatment
For the full document the easiest place to find it is the Devon CCN website under ‘legislation’
The key points for community composters are: (slightly papraphrased)
“ this exemption allows you to compost small volumes of vegetation, cardboard and food wastes (yes that’s right!) to produce a compost that can be spread on land to provide benefit. You can also treat the waste, before you compost it chipping or similar activities.”
So this legislation will cover:
“Schools wanting to compost kitchen and garden waste in its grounds
Allotments association with a communal composting area for plants and trimmings
A community composting group bringing locally produced vegetable peelings and garden waste to a central point for composting prior to use back in local gardens.
Limits
80 tonnes (at any one time) if composting is done at the place of production and the resultant compost is used at that place
Or
60 tonnes (at any one time) if bringing waste from other places to the place where it will be composted – or going to use the resultant compost at a different place than where it is composted. E.g.
An Allotment association if garden waste and vegetable peelings are brought in from various houses abd the the resultant compost is to be used on the allotments
A community composting group collects locally produced food and garden waste from various houses, composts the waste and then the resultant compost is used by the community on their gardens.”
Just a few of the key points from this document – look at the rest on
http://dccn.typepad.com/legislationpage/new-composting-legislation-2010-environmental-permits-.html
or just go to www.dccn.org.uk and click on legislation and follow the page to the right to download the entire document.
I’m interested to see so many mentions of food waste, kitchen waste, vegetable peelings.
To register (it’s free) you need to go to
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/WEX001v01Feb10_e-form_LCfinal_4.pdf
This link will come up on the guidance document as well.
Over 60 Tonnes (or 80 in situ) at any one time
If you are composting larger amounts then you will have to apply for a permit see http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/63143.aspx
As far as I can make out it will cost you between £148 and £346 for a low risk activity – I presume per annum.
