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General - Composting - Furniture
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Composting
Q. a) What is community composting?
A. The term ‘community composting’ generally refers to the composting of organic materials within the community by local people for the benefit of the local community and its environment. However, community composting projects operate in many different ways, ranging from a small group of neighbours or allotment holders composting their waste together to a social enterprise running a local kerbside collection and composting operation on behalf of its Local Authority. Many of these community organisations are also involved in the promotion of home composting within their local communities.
Q. b) What sort of site do I need?
A. This depends on what you intend to compost and the size of your operation. For further information on designing a site, see the CCN’s Community Composting Guide, available through the CRNS. Also Chapters 12 and 13 of the Mucking In Pack, downloadable from www.communitycompost.org
In terms of garden waste, if you will be dealing with less than the upper limit for a Waste Management Licensing Exemption of 400 tonnes of material on site at any time, no impermeable surface such as concrete is required. Such a surface is required if you intend to add materials such as cardboard, paper or manure. If you are composting materials such as fruit and vegetable waste from shops you will need a site with a building (eg. a shed), an impermeable surface and you will require sealed drainage. If you are composting kitchen waste which comes from a separate premises and/or the finished compost will be used off site, according to the Animal By-Products Regulations this must be done in a contained way, i.e. in an enclosed building or using an in-vessel composter, which would then require access to water and electricity.
See the SEPA website for the Waste Management Licensing Exemption registration forms and details of the full Waste Management Licence, if you are dealing with more than 400 tonnes on site at any time. Full WML details: www.sepa.org.uk/regulation/waste/exemptions.htm
Q. c) Where can I get information on the BSI PAS 100 compost standard?
Q. d) How should I market my compost?
A.
The best way is word of mouth in your local community. You could try putting up posters at local allotment groups and gardening clubs. Click here for an overview to composting regulations.
SWAG offer free support to community sector waste organisations to develop a marketing strategy. Contact SWAG for details.
WRAP also offer advice on marketing:
www.wrap.org.uk/materials/organics/
Q. e) What’s the best way of measuring how much organic waste our project deals with or how much compost we produce?
A. If your project does not have access to weighing equipment, see the Measure Your Treasure Factsheet on Community Composting for methods on how to calculate or estimate quantities of compost produced or waste dealt with.
Measure Your Treasure
Q. f) How can the project be funded?
A.
Ways of generating an income from community composting include:
- Payment from Local Authorities to divert waste from landfill
- Payment for the provision of training placements
- Sales or donations for products
- Grants & investment programmes such as INCREASE and the Big Lottery Fund
Q. g) Where can I get information on Health and Safety?
A. See the chapter on Health and Safety in the CCN Community Composting Guide to be available from the CRNS. Also contact your local Health and Safety Executive office for more information. See www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/scotland.htm to find your nearest office.
Q. h) What’s an in-vessel composter?
A.
An in-vessel composter is a machine which provides a contained and controlled environment for composting. Since the introduction of the Animal By-Products Regulation in-vessel composting - or contained windrows, or anaerobic digestion - is necessary for composting kitchen waste, if it is received from separate premises and/or the final compost is to be used on a separate premises. In-vessel composting technology ranges from large-scale plants, which deal with thousands of tonnes, to small-scale systems, which are suitable for small community composting schemes or on-site composting for blocks of flats. The Big Hanna, the Webb’s Rocket and the Jora are the most well-developed, small-scale systems available on the market at present.
Q. i) Who should I contact if I want to start a community composting site?
A.
You should contact your local Waste Management Department, your local SEPA office, and if you are going to be collecting food waste from separate premises, then your local Animal Health Office.
Q. j) What regulatory requirements do I have to meet?
Q. k) What courses can I go on to learn more about composting?
Q. l) What is a Master Composter scheme?
Q. m) Where can I get more information on community composting?
Q. n) What shall I do if I find New Zealand Flatworm on the compost site?
A. New Zealand Flatworm is a non-indigenous species which predates on earthworms. As the name suggests they are flat and have a dark purple/brown upper surface and pale edges and underside. They are on average 1 cm wide and 6 cm long. The eggs resemble shiny blackcurrants. If you find New Zealand Flatworm on your site, it should be reported to Dr Brian Boag at the Scottish Crop Research Institute on bboag@scri.sari.ac.uk.
Please also inform the CRNS by contacting sarah@crns.org.uk. For more information, see
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestnote/flat.htm
Q. o) How do I go about finding a site?
A. Contact your local authority. Planning Aid can also provide valuable help with issues related to planning permission.
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Furniture
Q. What sort of premises should I look for?
A. You need to think about whether customers are going to come into your warehouse and whether you need an area for workshops or putting together starter packs. A medium size furniture project will require about 6,000 square feet of warehousing space. If you are going to sell from your warehouse you must check that it has the appropriate planning permission. Alternatively you could run a warehouse and a shop.
If you are going to be testing appliances you will need to ensure that you the right sort of electricity and water supply. The FRN produces a guide to setting up an electrical workshop.
Q. What sort of vehicle will I need?
A. Most furniture reuse projects use vans with Luton bodies and an internal framework that furniture can be tied to.
Q. Where can I find basic information about setting up a furniture project?
Q. Where can I find information about the legal aspects of selling furniture and electrical appliances?
A. You must contact your local Tradings Standards office for advice because all advice is down to local interpretation.
Q. Where can I find out about other furniture projects in Scotland?
A. The CRNS runs a web site about furniture projects at morethanfurniture.org.uk and produces a printed directory of furniture projects which can be obtained by emailing: info@crns.org.uk
Q. Where can I get funding from?
A. For furniture projects, the most common sources ways of generating income are from:
- Running a charity shop or selling furniture to the public
- Selling packs of furniture to Local Authority Homelessness Units and Housing Associations
- Payment from Local Authorities to divert waste from landfill
- Payment for the provision of training placements
- Operating income-generating recycling projects
- Grants & investment programmes such as INCREASE and the Big Lottery
Q. Where can I get help to set up a Starter Pack project?
A. Starter Pack projects provide packs of small household items such as crockery, bedding, curtains and cleaning items. Scottish Churches Housing Action (SCHA) was instrumental in setting up the existing Starter Pack projects. SCHA and the Scottish Council for the Single Homeless (SCSH) have produced a guide to setting up a Starter Pack project, called ‘Start Me Up!’ which costs £6. It can be ordered at www.scsh.org.uk/publications/Starterpacks.htm
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General
Q. Are 'charity shops' able to join CRNS?
A. Yes, so long as they are diverting waste from landfill and properly constituted.
Q. Are the Area Waste Plans still relevant?
A. Yes. Target reporting continues against those identified in the area waste plans.
Q. Can anyone come along to the Community Forums?
A. Yes. Anyone with an interest in community recycling is invited to come along to their local forum.
Q. Can someone come out and see us?
A. Under normal circumstances, CRNS Development Officers will only visit member organisations. However, you can meet your area Development officer at local community forum meetings to talk about your project. Click here for upcoming dates and venues. You can also contact your area Development Officer via e-mail or telephone.
Q. Can someone help me with my business plan?
A. Your local development officer can give advice on Business planning.
You can also contact Council for Voluntary Services.
Scottish enterprise can also provide many services to help your organisation through Business gateway or your local enterprise company.
Q. Do I need a waste management License?
A. It’s always best to check with your local SEPA office, who will provide information on what activities require a Waste Management Licence and what exemptions are available.
Q. Do we have to be a charity to join CRNS?
A. No. there are advantages to being a charity (including 80% to 100% relief on business rates and free exemption from waste carriers licence), but properly constituted, non-profit distributing organisations are eligible for membership of CRNS.
Q. Does CRNS give grants? If not who can provide start-up funds and how soon?
A. CRNS does not hold funds for awards, they can identify appropriate funding sources, expected lead times and (in the case of INCREASE) provide face to face support.
Q. Does the CRNS DO have any clout with the Local Authority (Council)?
A. Yes, both through the local recycling forum and developed working relationships with officers within specific Council departments.
Q. How do we find out what local authorities are doing?
A. SEPA produce annual updates on the performances of local authorities towards targets laid out by the Scottish Executive. See www.sepa.org.uk or contact your local SEPA office.
Q. How far into the future should we project income / expenditure?
A. Three to five years.
Q. If non-recycling help not available where can this be found?
A. Local agencies include LECs, CVS, SIPs; CRNS DO can provide contact names etc
Q. Should we weigh the tonnage of items diverted / recycled?
A. It is important to use best available techniques to calculate the tonnage diverted from landfill. This might include weighing (e.g. collection vehicles on weighbridge or individual items such as white goods on scales). Where this is not possible, some other methodology should be designed and agreed with key stakeholders.
Q. What are the benefits of being a member of CRNS?
A. Full membership benefits includes access to our Open Doors travel bursary, discounted rates to events and seminars, access to the full range of Development Support services and eligibility to stand for the Board of Directors.
The full list of benefits are included in our membership pack.
CRNS encourages you to join so that you will be able to receive the full range of membership services. Please note that all membership applications are subject to approval by the CRNS Board.
Q. What does the CRNS do? How can they help? Do they provide non-recycling help?
A. Membership-based organisation. Promotion of community recycling sector; providing tiered development support and recycling advice to local organisations; recycling events and local forum; sector-specific training/pointers to other training; website/bi-weekly e-update.
If non-recycling help asked for, advised of local agencies/contacts etc
Q. What is a social audit?
A. A quantification of the full benefit of an organisations’ activities to people and the community.
Q. What is a social enterprise?
A. A non-profit distributing organisation established for wider social benefit. Social Enterprises may have other community benefits, including environmental improvement or economic development. Social enterprises are at least in part income generating through trading as opposed to being entirely reliant on charitable or public sources of income.
Q. What is an Energy from Waste Plant?
A. A form of waste reduction which involves energy being generated from waste. The most common examples are an incinerator and a pyrolysis plant (combustion in a vacuum).
Q. What is the Area Waste Strategy Groups and are they still active?
A. Yes. Area waste groups continue to meet to monitor the implementation of the area waste plans and discuss other issues of relevance.
Q. What legal structure is appropriate?
A. Small community groups could initially establish an incorporated, not for profit, organisation. Easy to construct; first page of constitution most important – must show aims and objectives; following pages are generic and can be lifted from websites of GCVS, Senscot etc. Legal requirements:- business bank a/c, office bearers i.e. chairperson, secretary, treasurer.
Q. What should be in a business plan?
A. There is no definitive list, but business plans commonly include: Executive summary, business background (might feature a SWOT analysis, management structure, key people (staff and directors), research data (qualitative and quantitative), current activities, equipment and premises, products and/or services, marketing strategy, development plans (including new services / products, equipment, sites, buildings, posts), income / expenditure and cash flow projections, action plan, appendices to include site plans, job descriptions, full research data, etc.).
Q. When is the next community Forum in my area?
Q. Who else (locally) can we network with?
A. CRNS, local Recycling Forum, LECs, CVS, SIPs
Q. Who else does this in my area?
A. For a list of CRNS members in your area click here. There may however, be organisations involved in recycling that are currently not members of CRNS. Therefore, it might also be useful to contact your local councils’ Recycling Officer. You will also meet community recyclers at by coming along to your local community recycling forum. Click here for upcoming dates and venues
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