21st – 22nd May 2019, Leeds
Day 1 – 21st May
Sustainable landbank: Building and maintaining confidence in biosolids, biowastes and other bioresources
Although materials such as biosolids and food-based digestates have different origins, the challenges with land bank access and security can be very similar. For example – fragments of plastic are known to be present in biosolids, food-based digestates and green-waste composts. To date, there is little or no evidence that this creates issues in soils where these materials are applied – but perception that there might be an issue is likely to be high.
From: http://www.cateringscotland.com/zero-waste-scotland-welcomes-digestate-compost-breakthrough/
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how strong the evidence is to support a particular practice – if the perception is sufficiently negative, that practice may never gain widespread support. Day 1 of this event will provide an opportunity for different sectors to share experiences and best practice – and explore how perceptions and evidence might better interact to secure long term resilience in land-based markets.
Key themes
- Changing perceptions – how social and applied sciences interact
- Successes in consumer engagement
- The role of quality assurance schemes
- Opportunities for cross-sector collaboration
Day 2 – 22nd May
Marketing Biosolids, biowastes and other bioresources: minimise costs and maximise returns
Biosolids and other bioresources (such as composted garden wastes and digestate from food waste AD) offer a number of benefits to farmers and growers. They help to reduce reliance on conventional fertilisers – by supplying nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and a range of trace elements – and in some cases help to improve soil physico-chemical properties by supplying organic matter.
However, the business of land application is often a cost centre. The demonstrable fertiliser value of materials does not always cover the costs associated with hauling, storing and applying them to land – and in many cases no attempt is made to recover even part of the cost from the end user. A partial budget for a food waste AD site shows the scale of these costs in comparison with income streams, and the importance of minimising these costs where gate fees are no longer paid:
Day 2 of this conference focusses on strategies to reduce costs / improve value from land-based markets for biosolids and other bioresources.
Key themes
- Marketing strategies for compost and digestate
- Are PAS100 and PAS110 worth it?
- Marketing strategies for biosolids
- Can BAS make a difference?
- In-house vs out-sourced service provision
Exhibition and sponsorship
If you are interested in exhibiting at or sponsoring this event please contact frances.woodhead@aquaenviro.co.uk for further details.Delegate bookings will open shortly. Please contact clare.hunter@aquaenviro.co.uk to be kept up to date on this event.
More information: https://www.aquaenviro.co.uk/events/conferences/sustainable-landbank-building-and-maintaining-confidence-in-biosolids-biowastes-and-other-bioresources/
