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30 June 2011 by Daryl Tunningley

Waste managers seek new ‘recycling to land’ farm sites

Hampshire-based waste management company Cleansing Service Group (CSG) is planning to expand its Recycling to Land scheme which supplies farms with free organic fertiliser and a soil injection service.

The company, which collects domestic household sewage waste from over 70,000 homes every year, is Britain’s leading supplier of septic tank clearance services.

Its agricultural recycling programme, in which liquid fertiliser derived from the waste is offered as an economic alternative to high-priced conventional fertilisers, is one of the award-winning company’s key environmental projects.

CSG currently applies the fertiliser at ten UK ‘injector sites’ where the screened sewage is applied to fields via a tractor-mounted umbilical soil injection system. The organic fertiliser can be used on grassland and stubble ready for the next crop – but not salad, fruit and root crops.

Once injected into the soil, the material breaks down to provide nutrients, encourage humus formation and improve soil structure.

Chris Febrey, who heads CSG’s Agricultural Division, said the company was now seeking more land for treatment  – preferably mixed grass and arable with storage facilities for the fertiliser such as former slurry stores or where there were sites suitable for creating sizeable lagoons in which the screened waste can be stored prior to application.

“This arrangement is working very successfully with our existing farm partners and we’re very keen to extend the scheme to others who would benefit from the use of a free nutrient-rich natural fertiliser which can boost crop yields,” said Mr Febrey.

“Bio-fertiliser provides good levels of nitrates, including NPK and magnesium, trace elements, and organic matter to help soil structure. Even the actual injection process assists aeration on grassland. And when injection is undertaken on stubble, a deep cultivation is used which saves the farmer the cultivation cost. ”

Soil sampling and analysis, and a risk assessment, are carried out free of charge on nominated fields and the fertiliser is applied in accordance with all Government regulations covering the agricultural use of sewage waste. Farmers receive copies of all relevant paperwork, including the soil analysis result which normally costs around £65 to carry out but is provided free by CSG.