Composting
Composting means the autothermic (self
heating) and thermophilic (between 40 to 80 degrees
Celsius) biological decomposition and stabilisation of
biodegradable waste under controlled conditions that result in a
stable sanitised material that can be applied to land for the
benefit of agriculture, horticulture or ecological improvement.
Composting can range from the very simple as in open windrows
(large heaps), to sophisticated computer controlled In-vessel
systems sometimes known as the acronym IVC.
Composting is one of the main waste treatment
processes used today to reduce the amount of waste going into
landfill. Depending on size of operation, technology used and
types of waste processed, composting is regulated by:
Other technologies associated
with composting are:
- Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and
- Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT)
Food waste report
In trying to reduce the amount of food waste
being landfilled, the composting of food waste is becoming
widespread with several councils throughout the UK set to introduce
large scale food waste composting. One of the concerns regarding
the composting of food waste, is there may be a possibility of
introducing genetically modified material into the compost mix.
This report 
(998k) explains what happens when genetically modified
organisms (GMO) are introduced.