ISHS Acta Horticulturae 469: International Symposium on Composting & Use of Composted Material in Horticulture
QUALITY OF COMPOSTS AND EC LEGISLATION |
| Author: | R. Gabriëls |
| Keywords: | compost, quality, legislation |
| Abstract:
Laboratories throughout the world have developed their own methods for analyzing and characterizing soil improvers and growing media. The same goes with regard to the official methods used in the various countries of the western world so that comparison of results is problematic and confusing. Within the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and in order to define the quality of plant substrates efforts are being done to develop reference methods and drafts for the determination of physical and chemical properties of these materials. The need to develop quality standards for this particular product sector, stems from a recognition that the market in these products is developing very rapidly, with the introduction of many new products based on non-traditional constituents, including waste derived materials. Although a number of European countries have established certain standards relevant to composts, present requirements for testing and labelling are highly variable across Europe. Many products consequently are not subject to appropriate testing procedures and good quality testing and environmental information is not available to consumers. The aim of CEN is therefore to facilitate free trade in these products by developing common quality, testing and labelling requirements. | |
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