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
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
Further reading
- Leoci, R., Animal by-products (ABPs): origins, uses, and European regulations, Mantova: Universitas Studiorum, 2014. ISBN 978-88-97683-47-6