Compost firms
Within the SOILCOM project also compost firms are active. Compost firms in the participating countries are also the group of companies we will inform during the four year project.Within the SOILCOM project we develop knowledge about the different aspects of developing, producing and applying compost. Within the project different compost companies/ organisatiosn are active:
- Stadtreiniging Hamburg,
- VLACO, as the representative of Belgium compost firms,
- Klintholm, compostfirm in Denmark
Orgapower in the Netherlands is active in the SOILCOM advicery Board. Vlaco represents also the European Compost Network.
SOILCOM will result in the following interesting information for composting firms:
- Combination of different waste streams leading to specific composts;
- Effects of compost on soil fertility, soil life, physical structure of the soil. And therefore for example resulting in an increase of the waterholding capacity of soils and increase in crop growth.
- Tools for characterization of composts
- Experience of growers with specific composts for specific soils or soil problems
- Meetings with local and European policymakers concerning legislation of fertilizers and soil improvers and the possibilities for using composts in relation to legislation.
Now interesting information is available for composting firms!
Report quality indicators
Compost can be very diverse in quality and characteristics related to the variety in feedstock composition and management of the composting process. This report gives an overview of a number of different compost quality indicators, describes how they are measured and explains how the indicators are interlinked. Furthermore, this report includes information on what indicators are most interesting for specific cases (intended use, specific input materials, etc.) and for matching compost with a certain use.
The report establishes the framework for the forthcoming activities within SOILCOM; trails and research with specific composts, advise to compost growers and stimulating the demand for good quality compost.
The PDF of the report can be downloaded here.
Report hygiensiation requirements
Our Soilcom partner Vlaco developed a document about the hygienisation requirements for composting. In the composting process, the step of hygienisation is by far the most important step to obtain an good quality compost.
The intensive decomposition phase includes thermal hygienisation in order to provide the necessary reduction of human, animal and plant pathogens. In this document the different hygienisation requirements from different regions/legislations are given.
Video compost turner
ILVO as part of the Agro-Ecological test platform organized a demonstration with the compost turner of Ménart. They made a video containing all the technical details of the compost turner. This machine simultaneously aerates and moistens the organic matter.