The Executive offered the Borders Machinery Ring (BMR) and the Scottish Institute of Sustainable Technology £38,438 in 2005-06 and £37,438 in 2006-07 for the development of composting service provision by farmers in the Scottish Borders. This project sought to deliver action in resource use, diverting biodegradable waste from landfill, serving as a model which could be replicated in other regions of Scotland, and including a seminar for board members of other machinery rings to spread awareness.
This Waste into Nutrients and Energy (WINE) project comprised the formation of a network of on-farm and forestry sites across the Borders to assist businesses to take advantage of emerging and proven technology to create compost and subsequently biofuel. The approved processes would assist local authorities meet waste strategy targets and help rural income streams by savings in costs and value enhancement of end-product - either energy production or compost sold or applied to land as a fertiliser source and soil enhancer.
BMR produced a business plan, appointed a part-time compost development officer, provided consultancy advice in the production and application of compost, provided seminars to encourage involvement of farmers and other groups, and supported analysis of feedstock and soil testing and purchase of monitoring equipment.
There was investigation of rural composting options evident elsewhere for consideration as suitable to Borders conditions - and application in other areas of Scotland. With composting of green waste using the Ecopod system working successfully in America and other parts of Europe for a number of years, BMR saw an opportunity to provide a local solution to the investment required to get started - with minimum investment/ commitment from local authorities or other customers, machinery required already being owned by BMR members for agricultural activity.
Meetings were held with SEPA and the local authority. Ecopod operated in southern England, but different rules and regulations in Scotland and England had to be assessed. Sistech examined current markets and trends and the local authority aims in the Lothian and Borders waste strategy.
BMR organised a meeting to highlight the possibilities of on-farm composting to farmers, land owners and agricultural contractors; 43 people attended, mostly looking for business diversification. Discussions were held with some local landowners (in some cases with forestry interests as a potential waste wood supply) on possible sites. Sewage cake was originally to be the main income earner from gate fees but regulations changed in December 2006 that made it unviable.
A first composting site was found on a farmer's land at Stobs, a few miles south of Hawick - with hard surfaces, easy access for lorries and room for expansion. A local contractor with Ecopod machinery had the capacity to enter the composting market. BMR and Sistech acted as catalyst.
BMR and Sistech ran a workshop and exhibition at a Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce conference in February 2006 and established contact with key officials at Scottish Borders Council. This promoted the idea of dealing with local waste locally, using local business and labour rather than transporting it out of the area to costly centralised sites. Environmental Services at the Council helped in pointing to individuals and businesses seeking to divert green waste from landfill.
In 2006 a joint venture was established for the composting site at Stobs, which had to obtain all necessary planning permissions, SEPA approval and waste licences. Legal advice was that this model could be replicated at other sites and with other individuals.
In February 2007 BMR visited Ecopod composting sites at North Norfolk and Kings Lynn with members of the joint venture, machinery ring directors and Scottish Borders Council representatives. This demonstrated how the composting business at each site had evolved.
In March 2007 another site was established which could serve the eastern Borders. Meanwhile, though the main aim of the joint venture at Stobs was to tender for Scottish Borders Council green waste, the Council was not able to proceed with this tender immediately. However, BMR investigated further the existing market, competition and opportunities.
In June 2007 further meetings with the Council resulted in securing 300 tonnes of kerbside collected green waste from the Hawick area delivered to the Stobs site. There were also small loads of wood waste from local building companies and tradesmen, and other supplies of compostable materials from growing awareness of the project in the area. BMR acquired data monitors to keep a check on pod temperatures, fans to regulate airflow into the pod and a small wind turbine to power the fans - Stobs being a remote site with no power supply.
The project was promoted through the BMR website and newsletter. This helped BMR build a database of farmers interested in supplying raw materials or with a future compost site. Publicity also identified customers wanting to buy the finished product.
Continuing beyond the project period, there was a presentation to councillors at the Stobs composting site in October 2007. In autumn 2007 a skip hire business near Duns approached the business to solve a problem with wood waste - 40% of this waste had ended up in landfill, but was diverted to the second composting site at Shoreswood for shredding and mixing with green waste before being composted in the Ecopod. Negotiations took place with a factory in the Borders to secure 80 large skips of wood waste per year to the Stobs site.
The next phase of development for the composting joint venture was to gain a full waste management licence once exemption thresholds were reached, to allow the site to deal with food waste - essential for local authorities switching to combined green and food collections.
Two years on, the project had the foundations of a business that could grow rapidly once full awareness of composting sites became known in the region. If further council waste could be secured this would lead to greater involvement in assisting the local authority to meet regional waste targets. The flexibility of this project - which provided knowledge and experience - would allow easy replication to other regions of Scotland.
Contact
Borders Machinery Ring Ltd
Galamoor House
Netherdale
Galashiels. TD1 3EY
01896 758091
bmr@ringleader.co.uk