§ Dr. PughTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines she has set for the disposal and use of lower grade compost that will be unfit for agricultural use. [44345]
§ Mr. MeacherThe recovery or disposal of waste, including lower grade composted waste, must be carried out in compliance with the controls in place to fulfil the requirements of the waste framework directive. The main controls are set out in Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (the 1994 Regulations). We have issued guidance on these controls in DOE Circular 11/94; and statutory guidance to the Environment Agency on waste management licensing in Waste Management Paper Number 4.
Waste compost may be spread on land for agricultural benefit or ecological improvement under the terms of the licensing exemption provided in paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the 1994 Regulations and registered with the Environment Agency. The spreading of waste compost in these circumstances is classified as a waste recovery operation. The disposal of waste compost must be carried out under the terms of a licence issued by the Environment Agency.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has commissioned research investigating the markets for composts fit for restricted use, which will include those unsuitable for use in agriculture. The work will assess 720W how much material could potentially be applied to various land use types and identify key issues associated with establishing quality standards for these materials.