The improved management of organic waste is a vital element of EU environmental legislation. AWD is committed to managing this material stream in the most resource and energy efficient manner through composting and anaerobic digestion

Composting

Green plant material (garden/landscape cuttings) is collected in Civic Amenity sites and depots across Ireland. The material is brought to a central composting facility where it is shredded and formed into a window. Material is monitored and controlled for 100 days where it naturally decomposes to produce peat-free compost products.

Did you know that compost can benefit the soil through..

  • Supply of slow and stable nutrients for plants when needed
  • Improved Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), resulting in greater uptake of nutrients Energises tired and poor performing soil
  • Increased Water Holding Capacity, leading to increased water uptake during dry periods
  • Increasing the biological activity in soil Provides food for soil microbes which cycle nutrients and fight plant diseases Greater workability than regular soils
  • Elevates compaction and improves drainage Better root development in plants
  • Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilisers Promote higher yields of agricultural crops
  • Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted and marginal soils

Anaerobic Disgestion

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the natural microbiological conversion of organic matter, in the absence of oxygen, to three main products:

  • Biogas - a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), which can be used to generate electricity and heat.
  • Fibre digestate - for use as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner, and
  • Liquor - for use as liquid fertiliser.