ISWA Working Group on Biological Treatment of Waste

Managing Contaminants in Organic Waste, Compost and Digestate. Launch of the ISWA Contaminants Paper Contamination in organic waste jeopardizes the integrity and effectiveness of composting and anaerobic digestion treatment processes as well as quality of the final products. This is a global problem reflecting society’s consumption of goods, with plastic contamination being the main culprit due to its wide use in food packaging and gardening applications. The ISWA WG on BTW has addressed this issue and will launch its ‘Practitioner’s Guide to Preventing and Managing Contaminants in Organic Waste Recycling’. The document defines contamination, sets out a ‘contamination hierarchy’ and provides practical examples of ways in which contaminants can be managed. This is the first document that addresses managing contaminants in a practical way aimed at a global audience. It is in line with Theme 1 of the conference: protecting human health and quality of the environment, primarily because it prevents the application of contaminants to soil in which food can be grown. The ISWA Practitioner’s Guide will be presented by the Chair and Vice Chair of the ISWA WG on BTW, followed by a question-and-answer session with the delegates. Copies of the report will be available for delegates.