Results of municipal waste compost research over more than fifty years at the Institute for Soil Fertility at Haren/Groningen, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Until about 1950, municipal waste compost in the Netherlands was used principally on agricultural soils (mainly reclaimed cut-over peat and heath soils). Between 1950 and 1970, about equal proportions of compost were utilized in agriculture, horticulture and in amenity areas. Since 1970, amenity areas have demanded more than 90% of the compost. The main producer of municipal waste compost in the Netherlands is the VAM Waste Disposal Company, with a production level of about 100,000 tonnes per year. Its domestic refuse recycling plant recovers about 33% of organic residues suitable for compost production. Microelement contents and Ca and S levels in the compost are high, N, P and K contents and availability are low, and the organic matter content is c. 30% (dry matter basis). Biennial applications of up to 40 t/ha of compost between 1948 and 1975 resulted in large increases in microelement concentrations in crops and especially in soils. The Zn content of crops in a range of compost/soil mixtures increased with increasing compost/soil ratio, and crop growth was greatest in 100% compost. The current tendency in the Netherlands towards large-scale recycling of municipal waste may lead to increased compost production. Because the recreational sector can only absorb limited quantities, this compost would largely be disposed of on agricultural land. In such a situation limits for maximum permissible concentrations of potentially toxic substances in this compost, and maximum permissible application rates, would need to be set: for sewage sludge such limits already exist. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)