What’s it called?
Windrow Composting
How does it work?
Windrow Composting typically involves sorting green/garden waste and laying it out in long rows in the open air and turning it regularly to aid the composting process.
What are the advantages?
This is a relatively inexpensive process, and can
What are the disadvantages?
Processing food waste using open Windrow Composting is not permitted due to health regulations.
What’s it called?
In-Vessel Composting
How does it work?
In-Vessel Composting involves composting organic waste in an enclosed building or vessel. The temperature and conditions can be controlled and monitored to enhance the process.
What are the advantages?
In-Vessel Composting allows organic materials such as food/kitchen waste to be composted together with the green/garden waste, whereas legislation prevents this waste being used in Windrow Composting because of the potential health risks.
What are the disadvantages?
In-Vessel Composting is a more expensive option than Windrow Composting, and may therefore not be the most economic means of composting food waste.
What’s it called?
Anaerobic Digestion (AD)
How does it work?
AD is a biological process where organic waste is decomposed by bacteria in an enclosed, heated vessel in the absence of air.
What are the advantages?
If combined with a mechanical sorting process (see section above on MBT), Anaerobic Digestion could be used to treat the organic part of the waste that goes into your black or brown bin. The methane-rich gas created from this process can be burned to produce renewable electricity.
What are the disadvantages?
There is limited experience of using this technology in the UK for household waste, and its effectiveness is therefore uncertain. Markets for the significant quantities of compost like material and liquid left over at the end of the process would also need to be secured, and these are uncertain.