Compost debate

Former chairman of the Composting Association Trelawney Dampney has sparked a debate over whether or not the UK should allow any more organic waste treatment facilities to be built.

Mr Dampney believes that Britain is headed for similar problems to those seen on the continent where there is an over-supply of facilities and not enough food waste being collected.

"In South-West England there could well be an issue of over-supply," he said.

"We have three or four IVCs, TEG is building a plant and there is the AD plant.

"People are scrabbling about for food waste. Were all going to be aggressive in trying to get the waste in."

At present, the UK only recycles around three per cent of its food waste and many have challenged Mr Dampneys prediction by saying there is more than enough waste to go around.

Association for Organics Recycling (formerly the Composting Associaion) acting chief executive Jeremy Jacobs was among those to dispute his former colleagues claims.

"There is significant building going on but if you look at the fact that we only collect about three per cent of food waste, if we are to meet our LATS targets then we are going to need at least three times the number of facilities that are already here," he responded by saying.

The facilities turn organic waste into compost to be used in agriculture, but gardeners will know that they can recycle their own food waste to save buying compost by using a compost bin in their garden.