The European Union's Animal By-Products Regulations (Regulation No 1069/2009) allows for the treatment of some animal by-products in composting and biogas plants (anaerobic digesters). The following article describes procedures required to allow solid outputs (compost, digestate) from composting plants and anaerobic digesters onto land in the United Kingdom.
Categories of Animal By-Products
Category 1: Very high risk
Category 2: High risk
Category 3: Low risk
Category 1
BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) carcasses and suspects
Specified Risk Material
Catering waste from international transport
Must all be destroyed, not for use in composting or biogas plants
Category 2
Condemned meat
Manure and gut contents
Can be used in composting and biogas plants after rendering (133C, 3 bar pressure) Manure and gut contents only can be used after pretreatment
Category 3
Catering waste from households, restaurants
Former food
Much slaughter house waste e.g. waste blood & feathers
Can be used in composting and biogas plants without pretreatment
Treatment Standards
Composting
Closed reactor
Maximum particle size 40cm, minimum temperature 60C, minimum time at that temperature 2 days Maximum Particle size 6cm, minimum temperature 70C, minimum time at that temperature 1 hour
Housed windrow
Particle size 40cm, minimum temperature 60C, minimum time at that temperature 8 days
Biogas plants
Maximum particle size 5cm, minimum temperature 57C, minimum time at that temperature 5 hours Maximum particle size 6cm, minimum temperature 70C, minimum time at that temperature 1 hour
References
Notes
Further reading
Leoci, R., Animal by-products (ABPs): origins, uses, and European regulations, Mantova: Universitas Studiorum, 2014.
