From Green to Gold

A green waste composting scheme in Pembrokeshire has been awarded the ‘gold standard' certification for compost producers.

The PAS 100 certification has been awarded to PMR Direct Ltd, trading arm of The Pembrokeshire Machinery Ring (PMR).

PMR Direct Ltd takes green waste from Pembrokeshire County Council's Civic Amenity and Recycling Centres and processes it into compost at Rogeston Farm, near Druidston.

The end product is then used back on the land in the production of organic cereals. Green waste compost helps to retain moisture in the soil, providing crucial, slow release nutrients to crops and leading to long term yield increases.

Importantly, using compost made from recycled resources is sustainable and can increase soil organic matter and water holding capacity.

The long term use of compost in agriculture leads to a reduction in the use of inorganic fertilisers, which helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels used in the manufacturing of inorganic fertiliser and therefore reduces carbon emissions.

Neil Davies of PMR said: "Part of our service contract with Pembrokeshire County Council is to produce a PAS 100 product and working together we have been able to achieve this requirement."

Ken Rowlands, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, said: ‘This is certainly a significant achievement. Composting is recognised as key to reducing the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill."

The British Standards Institute PAS 100 specification covers the entire process by which compost is produced: from raw materials and production methods to quality control and lab testing. It means that the compost certified by the Association for Organics Recycling (AFOR) is quality assured, safe and reliable.

The Association for Organics Recycling Scheme is the only UK scheme providing third part assessment of conformity with BSI PAS 100. The process is reassuringly rigorous and compost producers are inspected annually.

Photograph: (left to right), Cllr Ken Rowlands, Peter Storrow, Site Proprieter of Rogeston Farm, and Neil Davies of PMR Direct Ltd.