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Summary of CRNS Community Composting Strategy The following is a summary of the strategy which is being proposed by the CRNS in order to further develop the community composting sector in Scotland. The strategy is the result of the CRNS mapping studies and the ‘Strategy Session’ which took place during the More than Composting Conference on May 2nd 2007. 1) Proposing a Simplified Regulatory System for Community Composters • A regulatory system is required which is proportionate to both the scale of the operation and the risk associated with the activity. • The need for a full Waste Management Licence to deal with relatively small tonnages of meat-included food waste is unnecessary and acting as a major barrier to the development of food waste composting by the community sector in Scotland. • There is a need for an ‘equivalent’ standard or code of practice which is relevant to and affordable by the community sector, which will enable community composters to legitimately market and distribute their products. This will enhance the credibility of the sector and also the confidence of the regulators. CRNS Action: • Develop and propose an improved, simplified regulatory framework, including a Code of Practice. 2) Developing Regional Networks of Small-scale Community Composting Sites • In order to establish strong, local networks coordinators are required to give direct support. • There is an issue of long-term viability as SWF 150 may not generate sufficient income to employ a coordinator. • This model increases the levels of efficiency and long-term viability • Alternative sources of income could be generated through training, social work and volunteering, for example. • Considerable interest has been shown around Scotland in developing community composting sites. Many of these ideas have not yet come to fruition due to the barriers involved. With local support many of these projects could get off the ground. CRNS Actions: • Identify funding for this approach. • Develop a local network support/development structure. • Develop training manual with partners to enable easy replication with minimum resources. 3) Linking up Community Composting with local food, green space and gardening projects • There is much potential to link up the growing, green space and community composting sectors. • There is a huge opportunity for raising awareness of sustainable food growing and the importance of composting and compost as a resource. • ‘Best practice’ models should be promoted, emphasising the added value of community composting. • Allotment sites and community gardens represent a key area where community composting could be promoted. CRNS Action: • In partnership with key organisations develop a best practice guide to community composting aimed at allotments and community gardens with relevant case studies. • Ensure the relevant organisations involved with local food, gardening and green space are signposted on the CRNS website. 4) Developing Commercial and Household Food Waste Composting • The WML and ABPR regulations are a major barrier and must be simplified in a way which is proportional to scale and risk. • Dealing with local authorities involves excessive bureaucracy and there is no incentive for councils to support community composting organisations. The introduction of SWF 150 (the Community Sector Strategic Waste Fund Scheme for £150 per tonne) has improved the accessibility of service level agreements. • The cost of composting in a way which is compliant with the regulations compared to the cost of disposal is a major disincentive. • Training and education are required. CRNS Actions: • To continue working with community sector groups and local authorities to help groups access service level agreements and contracts. • Design and establish household food waste pilot projects with the aim of providing models to be replicated. • Develop a model for commercial food waste collections. 5) Finding and Promoting solutions for Multi-occupancy Properties • The need for funding stream specifically for multiple occupancy properties (flats, tenements, high rise etc), for pilots, roll out of schemes and education • There is no need for a full Waste Management Licence for meat—included waste – this is a huge barrier as the fee is over £3000 in Year 1 and over £2000 in following years. • There are existing models which can be replicated. • Education and training is crucial. • 50-70% of housing consists of tenements and/or high-rise in cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. CRNS Actions: • Promote green cones/communal composting etc through Master Composter Project and regional networks. • Research funding for pilots and roll-out. • Propose simplified regulatory system. 6) Developing a Training Programme • There is a distinct lack of relevant training opportunities for the community composting sector. • A training programme is an essential part of developing a new regulatory framework and Code of Practice for community composting in order to increase regulatory confidence in the sector and enable regulation to be simplified. • A training programme will also increase the confidence of local authorities in the sector and increase the potential for service level agreements and contracts. • Training is crucial for volunteer development and indeed an incentive for getting volunteers on board. • Training is required on matters such as financial management as well as topics related to the composting operation. • Training on community composting could be combined with Master Composting training and work in schools. CRNS Action: • Develop and propose a training programme for community composters. 7) Providing and Coordinating Information: • The coordinated provision of information to the sector is crucial. CRNS Action: • Continue to improve and coordinate the provision of information on community composting in partnership with key organisations. 8) Continuing to Develop Commercial Viability and Funding Systems for the Community Composting Sector • There is little incentive for councils to work with community composters. • Organisations need to take a more business-like approach to running composting operations, demanding full cost recovery, whilst retaining their flexibility and ‘personal touch’. • The costs involved with complying with the regulations make it difficult to be viable. • The high costs involved with food waste composting are difficult to accommodate within the framework of the SWF 150 programme and experience so far has shown that it is still difficult to cover costs in order to compost commercial food waste. • Ongoing funding sources and economically viable models are required. • SWF 150 is proving to be very useful but £150 is not enough for food waste projects due to the current regulatory framework. • Funding requirements can be broken down into start-up funding, ongoing revenue cost funding and funding for food waste pilots. CRNS Actions: • Identify and promote on-going revenue cost funding, in particular by continuing to help groups access service level agreements through the SWF 150 scheme. • Continue to explore funding solutions for pilots. • Identify start-up funding. 9) Coordinating a Community-based Home Composting Support Programme • Community Composting organisations have a responsibility to promote the opportunities and benefits of home composting • A coordinated network of Master Composters should be available to support home composting across Scotland • There is currently insufficient cross over between community composting and home composting support. CRNS Action: • Work with the Scottish Executive, WRAP and key community sector partners on the development of a community sector Master Composter Programme for Scotland. Alternatively you can download a pdf version of the strategy document here |
