§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he proposes to take to develop the markets for compost. [54942]
§ Mr. MeacherA Composting Development Group was established last year to identify the problems and obstacles of marketing compost to a range of sectors, including landscaping, horticulture, agriculture and land restoration, and to develop proposals for overcoming them. The Group, whose members were drawn from the composting industry,640W research organisations, agricultural and composting trade associations, and central government, has completed its discussions and submitted its report to DETR Ministers.
It contains a number of proposals for improving the markets for compost, including the need to agree national standards to cover both the product and the process, and to develop a coherent and comprehensive programme of publicity and information measures, supported by research, demonstrations and trials, to improve public perception. The report recommends that securing the participation and cooperation of professional institutes and trade associations is the key to gaining greater access to individual sectors.
It also proposes that compost producers develop a more innovative approach, for example by setting up temporary on-site composting schemes to restore land, or by local authority producers maximising the use of compost in their own parks and gardens. I am today issuing the report for consultation, and will consider its recommendations in the light of comments received. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
The increased composting of organic waste has an important part to play in an integrated approach to sustainable waste management, and to meeting the targets of the landfill directive. I welcome the Group's report as a positive contribution to developing the markets for compost, and am grateful to its members for the time and effort they have put into the Group's work.