Following its call for evidence at the start of the year, the Environment Agency (EA) has concluded its reviews of the first three waste Quality Protocols (QPs).
Waste QPs are end of waste frameworks that industry can volunteer to follow. They set out the requirements for when certain wastes can become non-waste, once they’ve been fully recovered. This means that you can use the waste-derived material without waste regulation controls.
Find out more about the QPs here.
91²Ö¿âprovided a detailed response to the call for evidence, which can be read here.
The EA has said that all three QPs (compost, anaerobic digestate and poultry litter) will need revising. It intends to revise them with the aim of republishing them as Resource Frameworks.
While the revision is taking place, you can continue to use the existing QP. The EA plans to set up a task and finish group for each QP to support the revisions. This must be set up by 30 May 2021, or its support for the QP will be withdrawn.
Philippa Arnold, NFU environment policy adviser, said:
“Compost, digestate and poultry litter ash are received by many of our members as landspreading materials. Some NFU members are anaerobic digestion (AD) plant operators and composters, and some poultry producers use poultry litter in biomass boilers to create renewable energy. The current QPs are important from both the plant operator’s perspective and the user of the resulting material.
“It’s reassuring that the EA has recognised many of our concerns, including those around risk, soil health and plastics contamination in digestate and compost, which are affecting market confidence in the agricultural sector.
“However, any adverse changes or removal of the QPs must not stifle the future growth of the on-farm AD sector, compost sector and markets for poultry litter ash. We will therefore continue to work with the EA to revise the QPs with the aim of them being republished as a resources framework, retaining the EA’s support.”
The EA has published a statement on the , which details all the issues identified with the compost, digestate and poultry litter ash QPs that need addressing.
It also outlines how it intends to proceed with the remaining 10 QP reviews, which include:
- Aggregates from inert wastes – review started in October 2020.
- Processed fuel oil – review starting in January 2021
- Pulverised fuel ash and furnace bottom ash – review starting in January 2021
- Tyre-derived rubber materials – review starting in January 2021
- Biodiesel – review starting in March 2021
- Biomethane from waste – review starting in March 2021
- Recycled gypsum from waste plasterboard – review starting in March 2021
- Non-packaging plastics – review starting in May 2021
- Aggregate from steel slag – review starting in May 2021
- Flat glass – review starting in May 2021
More from 91²Ö¿â:
- NFU calls for UK ban on controversial degradable plastics
- Preparing your farm for the end of the transition period
- The seven key things that will help farmers manage the process of leaving the EU
