The guidance, aiming to provide the landscaping industry with the necessary quality and performance specifications for compost, is entitled Compost Specifications for the Landscape Industry.
Speaking as the guidance was launched at the International Garden & Leisure Exhibition, WRAP head of organics Anne O’B;rien said: “Compost produced from organic waste delivers many benefits, including increased nutrient levels and improved water retention. These translate into enhanced plant growth, quality and survival. The specifications we are launching today allow landscape architects to exploit these beneficial characteristics in a wide range of projects.”
The new specifications, based on industry research and common practices, build on the British standard BSI PAS 100 for composted materials, launched by WRAP in November 2002 (see letsrecycle.com story). The guidance has received the support of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and the Landscape Institute, as well as NBS Landscape, an extension of the National Building Specification which provides model specifications to landscape architects.
BALI David Spencer said: “We are proud to be associated with WRAP in the production of these specifications. WRAP’s input has been invaluable in setting the standards for compost so that when used in conjunction with soils or soil substitutes, the resultant medium is suitable for the use required in the contract.”
The document will make it simpler for landscape architects and local authorities to specify compost for landscaping applications and will assist compost manufacturers to become more aware of end-users needs, WRAP said. While voluntary in nature, they are designed for use as required specifications for any relevant projects.
The product specifications will specify a range of horticultural parameters, in addition to those required by BSI PAS100, for each of the following landscaping applications:
- Top dressing and grass maintenance
- Garden bed establishment
- Manufactured ‘soil’
- Tree and shrub planting
- Turf establishment, renovation and maintenance
- Mulching
The horticultural parameters will include properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, organic matter content, particle size and C:N ratio.
The document will be distributed to all members of The Landscape Institute, BALI and NBS and will be available to download from their websites. An abbreviated version for landscape contractors, which includes the product specifications and some guidelines for compost use, but not the information required for drafting project-related specifications, has also been produced. This equates to a potential total audience of around 4,500 landscape architects and 30,000 landscape contractors in the UK according to WRAP.
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