Coleraine Borough Council has achieved the BSI (British Standards Institute) PAS 100 quality certificate for its composing site at Letterloan. Confirming that its compost meets the highest standards set within the industry, Coleraine Borough Council’s achievement is a first among local authorities in Northern Ireland.
Jonathan Wilson, Technical and Waste Management Officer, Coleraine Borough Council, explains, “PAS 100 certification effectively guarantees that our compost is safe, reliable and offers high performance. The certification covers the entire compost production process from raw materials and production methods through to quality control and lab testing.
“We make our compost from garden waste – such as leaves, hedge cuttings, small branches and grass – brought to us by the public, via our recycling sites, and from landscapers, who deliver directly to our Letterloan site. During each twelve week cycle we shred and turn the material, ensuring every batch of compost reaches high temperatures. This means any harmful bacteria and pathogens are destroyed. The final stage is to pass the material through a screen to regulate the size of the compost, giving us a quality product which is certified to BSI PAS 100 standard.”
The next stage of development for Coleraine Borough Council’s composting operation is to create a finer grade of compost resulting in an even better product.
The Association of Organics Recycling Certification Scheme, who assesses Coleraine Borough Council’s composting site, is the only UK scheme providing third party assessment of conformity with BSI PAS 100. The process is rigorous and compost producers are inspected annually. Every year producers must continue to meet the high PAS 100 standards and have their compost re-tested.
Members of the public can bring their garden waste to any one of Council’s recycling sites in Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart, Kilrea, Garvagh and Castlerock. Compost is available for sale at £3 per tonne. Please phone 028 7034 3846 for details.
For further information on recycling and composting at home in Coleraine Borough Council area, please go to www.colerainebc.gov.uk/recycle or phone the Recycling Helpline, Technical Services on 028 7034 7272.
Photo caption: “Jonathan Wilson, Technical & Waste Management Officer, and Rachel Bain, Biodiversity Officer, at Coleraine Borough Council’s PAS 100 approved composting site.”
