Green Waste Compost - making the most of green waste

Green waste comprises non-mineral gardening waste such as grass cuttings and clippings from hedges. This is often composted by gardeners whilst many Local Authorities now provide kerbside collections. Civic Amenity sites attract larger quantities.

This material can now be processed into top quality green waste compost (GWC). Over 2 million tonnes of is now being composted annually in the UK – though this is still less than 15% of the quantity available.

There are two drivers for this development.

First, the European Landfill Directive, which seeks to reduce by 65% the amount of green waste going to landfill by 2020. In the UK, the Household Waste Recycling Act and associated incentives such as the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme are now operative. As it becomes more expensive to send green waste to landfill, composting becomes more attractive: provided there are markets for the GWC.

The second driver is that the UK government is committed to reducing peat use under the Biodiversity Action Programme. The initial target of 40% replacement by 2005 was easily met, but achievement of the 2010 target of 90% reduction looks unlikely because of uncertainties over consistency of quality and quantity of supply.

Professional plant growers, users of peat-based composts for many years, need assurance that GWC alternatives will give them the same results.

AW Jenkinson now processes more than 30,000 tonnes of green waste. The bulk of this processing is done through our specially designed site at Hespin Wood, near Carlisle.