ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Millions of tonnes of waste are landfilled every year in the UK. Efforts are being made to increase awareness in the value of waste as either an end product or a means of producing energy. NRM currently offers testing relevant to the renewables sector encompassing four publicly available specifications.
PAS109
Waste plasterboard can readily be recycled into its constituent parts – gypsum and paper. The recycled gypsum has use in a variety of applications which currently use natural or synthetic gypsum. These include use as a raw material in the manufacture of new gypsum-based products or in the manufacture of cement as well as a soil treatment agent for agricultural benefit. This PAS provides a standard for recyclers to produce a quality assured recycled gypsum of consistent and defined quality.
PAS100
Any biodegradable wastes that are diverted from landfill to undergo a composting process of which the end product is of sufficient quality to supply a diverse market is a significant benefit to the environment. Compost can be used as soil improvers, mulches, partial substrates in growing media, and as a significant ingredient in manufactured topsoils and turf dressings.
The PAS100 specifies amongst other things a minimum quality to ensure they are fit for purpose. Compost and digestate help to improve soil structure and enrich the nutrient content of the soil. NRM, as an Organics Recycling Group (ORG) approved laboratory, can provide analysis of composted waste under the BSI PAS 100 Certification Scheme.
PAS110
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is an important technology of source segregated biowastes. The biogas they produce can be converted into energy. The whole digestate, separated liquor and fibre outputs that AD systems produce can have significant fertilizer value and return good organic matter to soil.
NRM is also an REA - Biofertiliser Certification Scheme approved laboratory for PAS 110 analysis of whole digestate, separated liquor and separated fibre derived from the anaerobic digestion of source-segregated biodegradable materials.
PAS111
Waste wood arises in a multitude of forms, and a lack of consistency in the way waste wood is accepted, graded and processed is a barrier to the industry’s objective of increased recovery rates. End users need confidence in the uniformity and quality of recovered wood, while waste wood re-processors need to know how to design their operations to meet the requirements of their customers and the regulators.
PAS111 seeks to establish a minimum set of criteria and processing requirements for material to be deemed to be suitable for onward sale, albeit as a waste derived material.
KEY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ANALYSIS & TESTS
Listed below are some of the most widely used tests provided by the laboratory. In addition to these NRM has an extensive portfolio of other tests and, where appropriate, can develop specific tests and analytical suites for your business.
