Yorkshire and Humber is blossoming into a UK hot-spot for commercial compost production, according to latest figures.
Fourteen businesses in the region have signed up to the Composting Association's national quality scheme, PAS 100, in the past 12 months – the biggest increase anywhere in the UK.
Recycling Action Yorkshire (RAY), which helps organisations set up composting operations in the region, says the figures reveal that a new commercial focus has taken root among producers.
Mark Baker, project manager for organics market development at RAY said: "We are seeing a surge of interest in this market. The PAS scheme is the compost industry's kitemark for excellence. Nearly 10% of all national producers on the scheme now come from within the Yorkshire and Humber region. A year ago, just one regional producer was registered.
"Businesses are waking up to the fact that there is an increasingly lucrative market out there for high quality, locally produced compost. This demand is being driven by environmental concerns, challenging EU waste reduction targets, and better marketing. A lot of red tape has been removed in recent years too, which means it is now easier to produce and sell compost than ever before. What was once a waste material is now regarded as valuable product."
The 14 regional producers involved in the PAS scheme can process in excess of 200,000 tonnes of green waste into compost products between them each year. These organisations range from organic technology specialists listed on the stock exchange to farms and community groups.
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Jayne Pierre, Commercial Director of TEG Environmental, part of the TEG Group Plc, a green technology company with a large composting facility in Todmorden said: "TEG manufactures a range of quality compost products. To date, our main market has been agriculture, where many farmers are already experiencing the benefits compost can bring, including slow nutrient release and structural improvements. Obtaining the PAS 100 standard will enable us to make greater inroads into new market sectors, such as horticulture, as well as reducing the red tape involved in supplying our products to customers."
Under the EU's Landfill Directive, local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber are required to divert around 640,000 tonnes of organic material away from landfill by 2010 – a target which is expected to further bolster the region's growing composting industry. Every tonne of green waste diverted from landfill into composting reduces greenhouse gas emission by the equivalent of 0.8 tonnes of CO2.
RAY supports regional composters by providing free planning and design advice to help set up composting sites; offering funding support for fledgling schemes; running specialist conferences and events, and by publishing a regional directory of local suppliers.
Recycling Action Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European regional Development Fund (ERDF).