EPA Funded Research Project:
To Develop National End of Waste Standards for Quality Compost and Digestate
Cré is delighted to announce commencement of a research project on end of waste standards for quality compost and digestate in Ireland. This project is funded under the EPA Research Programme 2014-2020. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
In Ireland, there are no national End-of-Waste Criteria for quality compost and digestate derived from source-separated materials. In EPA licences for composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, there is a quality standard as part of the licences, however in old licences the parameters and limit values vary considerably and in the recent licences the parameters and limit values have been adopted from the national compost standard I.S. 441 for compost but also for AD plants. The I.S. 441 was not developed for AD plants and some parameters are such as stability is not suitable. This has results in AD plants proposing different stability measurement. In some Local Authority Waste Permits for biogas plants, there is no quality standard specified for digestate.
This project will examine best European practices as well as quality standards in Canada, America and Australia; and propose an approach for End-of-Waste Criteria for compost and digestate in Ireland. In addition, the project will develop a quality standard for digestate and an updated compost standard, which could be used as part of the End-of-Waste Criteria.
The project findings would inform regulators and policy makers of any changes required to implement changes to quality standards in waste licences and waste permits and also what approach should be taken to develop national End-of-Waste Criteria for compost and digestate in Ireland.
During the project there will be a workshop to consult all stakeholders on the research.
ENDS
Further Information contact:
Percy Foster, percy@cre.ie. T: 086- 8129260
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Notes to Editor:
“EPA Research Programme 2014–2020 The EPA’s current Research Programme 2014–2020 is built around three pillars – Sustainability, Climate and Water. More information about the EPA Research Programme can be found by visiting the EPA website where you can subscribe to the Research Newsletter. This provides news and updates about research calls, events and publications that are of relevance to researchers and other interested parties. You can also follow EPA Research on Twitter @EPAResearchNews for the information and developments about the Research Programme and its projects.”