Rocket Composters in use

These are just some of the applications of the Rocket which we will continue to update. Rocket Users are welcomed to submit an article, contacts and picture to add to the site.

Rocket Composter for Uni Waste - University of Aberystwyth.

The University of Aberystwyth most recently purchased and installed an A900 Rocket composter to treat the food wastes generated there with a grant from the Welsh assembly. The Rocket pictured resides in an ex-bin area which has now been converted into a recycling area for the University.

Dr John Harries Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibilities for Estates and Special Projects said:
“This is the latest in a series of developments that emphasise the University’s commitment to enhancing its environmental performance. All the kitchen waste which traditionally would have been sent to landfill will now be treated on site using well proven equipment which is the choice of environmental organisations such as The Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth.”

The development has also been welcomed by Sam Lumb President of the Students Union.
“This is a positive step forward for the university and the guild. The Guild has a number of Environmental policies which we implement and this Rocket Composter is proof that Aberystwyth University is actually making a difference, not just talking about making a difference. We are very proud of the positive impact we hope this machine will have,” she said.

Rocket Composter for Uni Waste - University of Aberystwyth

Conference Centre Composting, CESHI Collaboration a success !

CESHI Trial partners Warren House Conference Centre were so impressed with the composting technology supplied to them as part of a feasibility study, that on the conclusion of the trial, the machinery was purchased.

In 2007 CESHI ( the Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry ) commissioned Accelerated Compost to supply six machines to selected trial partners within the hospitality sector, the use of the machines to show how food wastes could be recycled on site through the use of in vessel technology.

Warren House accepted the machinery for trial purposes mid 2007, with the view of helping collate data and report on the feasibility of on site composting to CESHI at the culmination of the six month trial. On this conclusion the manufacturers Accelerated Compost offered the machinery for sale should it be found to be suitable, and indeed it was.

The A700 Rocket Composter pictured required minimal efforts to house, and the machine continues to serve the conference centre with an alternative to landfill, while producing a product that can be reused within the magnificent grounds and gardens.

Two other trial partners so far have also purchased the machinery, Gliffaes Country House Hotel and Regents College.

Weblink to Warren House Conference Centre website

Conference Centre Composting, CESHI Collaboration a success !

Rocket Composting at Cotehele National Trust

Rocket Composting at Cotehele National Trust The National Trust has launched an initiative to recycle the ‘unusable’ waste from the Cotehele estate and reduce the amount that would normally go to landfill.

For some time, the National Trust has been assessing the risk that climate change poses to its houses, gardens, coast and countryside as well as the wider environment. As the charity sees it as a real concern, it is working to develop ways to reduce its own environmental footprint and that of its supporters.

Toby Fox, National Trust Property Manager for Cotehele says:
‘We are all concerned about the threat of climate change and as an environmental charity, we are doing as much as we can to reduce our own carbon footprint. We are thrilled with how the project is going so far and we hope to develop more ways to help reduce the impacts of climate change over the next few years’.

Working in partnership with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and supported by DEFRA, the National Trust offered its 60 tenants on the estate, a free 330 litre compost bin and kitchen caddie.

This project forms part of a larger National Trust initiative to reduce the estate’s carbon footprint. Funded by the Government’s Sustainable Development Fund, all waste from the National Trust’s restaurant and tea-room is also being turned in to compost by a state of the art ‘Rocket Composter’. The Rocket Composter accelerates the rate at which the composting process takes place - reducing the process to weeks rather than months. The Rocket Composter will stop enough waste to fill a full-size tennis court up to the net, from going to landfill every year.

The National Trust estate at Cotehele is one of four estates now using the Rocket Composter, others include Nostell Priory, Stourhead and Craflwyn.

EC1 New Deal London Estate Recycling

On a very early and rather chilly March morning, Braithwaite House in Islington, London, saw the arrival of its Rocket Composter. The pictures attached show the "Rocket" earning its name, the early arrival and use of specialised lifting equipment allowed the manoeuvring of the machinery across a busy City Centre road, over building steps and a balcony, into its final resting place, a redesigned and transformed basement, specially created to hold a dedicated composting area, literally right under the residents. Schemes such as these are commonplace abroad, but this to our knowledge is the first in the united kingdom.

The Project to recycle the food wastes generated by the households in a city centre location. This recycling of food wastes is being done by residents of the block itself, the end product to be used in and around the grounds of the tenement block. Again another pioneering application for on site composting and we hope the first of many.

See news page for press release.

For more information visit www.yourEC1.com

Contact Accelerated Compost for further details.

EC1 New deal estate recycling initiative downloadable video
EC1 New deal estate
recycling initiative
downloadable video
File size: 13mb

Quicktime Player required to view video - click for free download
Quicktime Player
required to view
click to download
File size: 19mb

Pictures courtesy of EC1 New Deal for Communities/Sauce Consultancy.

Picture above shows residents employed by the EC1 Project processing the collected waste. Pictures courtesy of EC1 New Deal for Communities/Sauce Consultancy.

Edinburgh Green Caretakers - Scottish Pioneering Food Waste Community Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composters

In Spring of this year, Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association (ECBA), took delivery of eight, A500 Rocket in vessel composters for a pioneering city centre based tenement housing project.

In Spring of this year, Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association (ECBA), took delivery of eight, A500 Rocket in vessel composters for a pioneering city centre based tenement housing project.

Edinburgh itself has a very high concentration of householders living in tenement blocks (55%). These blocks backing onto previously verdant and blooming, green areas that the locals shared as a communal environment, but over time and through lack of interest and willing participants these greens became over run with bushes, weeds and trees, the locals caring less and maintenance of these areas completely ceasing. Greig Robertson the founder of Re-solution a sustainability consultancy, saw an opportunity to get these individual communities working together to bring back the peaceful and once loved back greens.

ECBA working with tenement volunteers stripped and cleared 6 sites, the project aiming from the start to gain community involvement, the project aim once this initial step was completed was to then continue with environment based workshops, composting and allotment growing, allowing the householders to learn, to grow their own produce and to compost their own catering wastes in the blight of household organics collections by the council.

For this particular section of the project ECBA decided with the collaboration of Scottish Organic Services to commission 8 In vessel composters at individual sites, specially crafted composting sheds with a simple and unique waste collection method were employed.
Working and attaining the approval of the State Veterinary Service the first of these sites opened to host a visit from the Community Composting Network (CCN) , the Scottish Community Recycling Network (SCRN), SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) WRAP (waste and resource action programmed) and the local council on the 1st of May this year.

The plan for the future? ” We have proved that it is possible to install these Rocket composters in tenement backgreens. This year, we now need to prove that we can encourage a high rate of participation amongst residents, if so I would hope to be able to role this service out to hundreds of sites throughout Edinburgh” Greig was heard to say.

	Details of the Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association (ECBA) project, Click here to view in PDF format
	Details of the Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association (ECBA) project, Click here to view in PDF format
	Details of the Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association (ECBA) project, Click here to view in PDF format

A Greater, Manchester University - Salford University On Site Food Waste Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter

University of Salford - A Greater, Manchester University The University of Salford, already very keen recyclers have recently had their first in vessel A500 ‘Rocket’ composter installed, this as many others, being used to compost catering waste, helping the University to further reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill. The University Estates staff along with staff from the University’s Catering partner Scholarest are working very hard to ensure that this initiative is successful.

This installation is the first of what is planned to be many, individual campus based composters. The food waste is initially processed through a macerator and dewatering system situated in the kitchens and then taken to the dedicated composting area for treatment.

The pictures here show the Rocket housed in a very imaginative, specially created, ABP compliant area, Salford University working with the state veterinary service (SVS) wanted from the very start, to have an operation capable of allowing them to have as much flexibility as possible for the transport of waste and end product, whilst showing to others the exact way a city based university can implement food waste composting projects.

The end product is destined for use on and around the University campus’s grounds, another perfect example of on-site closed loop recycling.

25th July 2007

RECYCLING RESULTS ROCKET AT SALFORD UNIVERSITY

The University of Salford has seen recycling rates increase dramatically since beginning trials of the A500 Rocket® in-vessel composting system purchased in February 2007 from Macclesfield based manufacturers Accelerated Compost.

Already recycling many materials such as plastics, cardboard, metals, timber and paper, Graeme Holland, Facilities Manager at the University, wanted to find a safe and hygienic solution to their food waste problem. "The landfill escalator was a major factor in our decision to look for more recycling routes. Waste collection costs were rising and we wanted to keep these costs down. Food waste was becoming more and more of an issue. It was a blot on our landscape and the smell was attracting vermin to the skips in between collections," he commented. However, the Rocket® composter is solving this issue and is saving the University money too. "This was the final link in our recycling chain and has provided us with a completely closed loop recycling system for all our food waste. Previously we would be paying for the collection of food waste and buying in compost for our own landscaping needs. Now all food waste is safely treated on-site, cutting our waste collection costs and we are saving money on buying in compost due to the excellent product the Rocket® produces."

It hasn't been easy convincing everyone of the benefits of recycling, as Graeme says. "There are so many negative associations with composting, especially regarding the smell. We are finding this is a huge learning curve to change these perceptions at the University but with the huge assistance of Scholarest, who are the providers of one of the major catering facilities here, we are managing to do this. When we show people the finished product they are amazed by the consistency and viability of it."

Along with Peter Camilleri, Zone Manager at the University who runs the Rocket® processes, Graeme experimented to get the very best out of his Rocket® in-vessel composting system. Peter commented, "It's so well contained it provides the perfect controlled environment for us to maintain temperatures of 65-75°C for weeks on end and easily surpasses the 48 hours needed to comply with ABPR regulations." Indeed, it is such an efficient system that the first results back from the State Veterinary Service (SVS) are clear of pathogens and passed with flying colours at the Preston laboratory.

Following the initial learning period Peter and Graeme have found that "little and often" is the most efficient way of feeding the Rocket® system. Using a ratio of 1:1, food waste and wood chippings, maintains the high temperatures, prevents clogging and produces a fine, quality compost at the end of the process. "I think it's brilliant," Graeme enthused, "The best thing is there is no segregation of food waste. All food waste can be treated on-site which is fantastic for solving our problems. We are so impressed with the Rocket® system we are looking at expanding food waste recycling across the whole University. We have nine food outlets and are currently recycling food waste from only one of these and the University Catering Department is as keen as Scholarest to become involved. As our plans come to fruition we will be needing another Rocket®!"

A500 ROCKET® IN-VESSEL COMPOSTER
The A500 is the smallest in the range of Rocket® composters. Fully automatic and measuring 2000mm long by 700mm wide and 1400mm high, it has a capacity of 600litres of mixed waste per week. Rocket® fuel dosing system and temperature reader are also included and with running costs of around 50p per week, it is proving to be a cheaper alternative to traditional food waste disposal routes.

The Rocket® in-vessel composter is manufactured and distributed through Accelerated Compost Ltd. Offices in Macclesfield, Perthshire, East Sussex, County Wexford and Worcester ensure UK-wide distribution and prompt after sales service. The Rocket® is currently being used as a solution to the food waste disposal problem for small scale commercial and industrial applications throughout the UK from Community Composters to Schools and Colleges, Hotels, Restaurants and Estates.

Brecon Beacons Ambassador - Powys Hotel Catering Waste Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter at Gliffaes Country House Hotel

By James Suter:

The Gliffaes Hotel, near Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons National Park occupies a fantastic 30 acre site overlooking the river Usk and is a site rich in bio-diversity. The hotel has 23 rooms, a bar and restaurant open to residents and non-residents alike. The hotel employs about 35 staff, both full and part time. For 2006 the hotel achieved an occupancy level of just over 65%. The hotel is a limited company and has been owned by the same family since 1948. James & Susie Suter are the third generation of the Brabner family to run the hotel.

Like all business we have a waste stream to deal with. The largest volume of waste is cardboard packaging this is followed by glass. Both of these are re-cycled at the hotel’s own expense. The hotel also generates a large amount of food waste, generated while preparing meals and also from what is left by customers on their plates. Last summer (2006) I measured the amount of this waste over an average week. The volume of un-compressed waste over one week filled one 1100 Eurobin.

Instead of putting this waste into landfill I thought that we should be able to compost it on site and use the compost on the garden and start to grow more vegetables for use in the hotel.

On investigating the composting of food waste in this volume my search led to a company called Accelerated Compost, who at the time were based in Warrington. I took the time to visit and look at their range of machinery that is built to deal with this volume and type of waste, and discussed the potential application at Gliffaes.

Several Months later I have been approached by the Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hotelier Industry (CESHI) and have become part of their pilot scheme for small businesses, this study and our co-operation will see results of my on site recycling being used in helping other businesses see the practicality of on site composting.

Lastly and most recently we have taken delivery of one of Accelerated Composts A700 Rocket Composters, which we’ve housed in existing buildings on site, this unit is now to be used for the trials with CESHI and at the end, to continue its work solely for our purposes. We are more than happy to act as “ambassadors” in this area and will be more than happy in communication with others on our progress.

www.gliffaeshotel.com

Accelerated Composts A700 Rocket in Vessel Composter under trials for CESHI at Gliffaes Hotel, Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons National Park

Sheffield's Stainless Solution - Sheffield College Catering Waste Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter - Weblink

Sheffields Stainless Solution With The Rocket Composter

Hillsborough College, part of The Sheffield College, have chosen to pilot small scale in-vessel composting to treat the food waste generated there.

The first Rocket composter to be installed in Sheffield is planned as the first step in the composting feasibility trials.

The system is hoped to be eventually rolled out to the other College sites. The end product being planned for use in horticultural sciences and land based studies.

Sheffields Stainless Solution
Click image to enlarge

Rocket A900 Housed at CAT to treat food waste and vegetable waste - Centre For Alternative Technology Compost Catering Waste On Site Using Rocket In Vessel ComposterThe Centre for Alternative Technology - www.cat.org.uk

The Centre For Alternative Technology , Showing practical solutions to environmental problems to carry us into the twenty-first century

We offer solutions to some of the most serious challenges facing our planet and the human race, such as climate change, pollution and the waste of precious resources.
We demonstrate practical ways of addressing these problems. Leading by example, we aim to show that living more sustainably is not only easy to attain but can provide a better quality of life.

Averting a massive environmental disaster is not out of our reach, although if we continue to treat the early signs with apathy, it soon will be.

We address every aspect of the average lifestyle - the key areas we work in are renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems.

We promote our ideas in a variety of ways:

Our Visitor Centre is open seven days a week. Interactive displays show global issues such as energy generation and transport, and practical, everyday solutions for everyone.
CAT also runs a free information service, answering enquiries on a massive range of topics by phone, letter or email, five days a week. For bigger projects, there is also a consultancy service.
CAT is a great place to learn new things, for all ages. We run a range of residential courses - from weekends to a yearlong MSc. Our dedicated Education Department arranges school trips to CAT, which can be tied in with the National Curriculum.
We publish books on various 'green' topics, and sell eco-books and products through a shop and mail order service.
The Media Department is available for all kinds of press enquiries.
There is a small community living at our Centre, experimenting with different ways of living, putting cooperative and environmental ideas into action. We take the same approach with our work, looking at the environmental impact of everything we do from start to finish.

We hope that through our positive example and promotion of effective solutions, people will be inspired to lessen their impact on the world in the same ways we have for more than 30 years.

To do all this and more, we rely on people's support, both financial and practical. There are many benefits to becoming a CAT member, including a quarterly magazine, which features news from the Centre and the wider world of sustainability. Our fundraising team receives donations from members of the public and businesses.

Volunteers have always played a very important role at CAT. If you would like to support us in this way, there are many different placements, from one week to six months.

To find out more about what we do, why not visit the Centre for Alternative Tehnology, and change your life for the better?

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust - Schools Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter in schools waste pilot

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) is using a total of nine A500’s in a pilot project composting schools catering and garden waste.

In addition to providing a cost-saving waste disposal solution to schools, the Schools Composting Technology Project will use the machines as an educational resource for pupils, highlighting the benefits of home composting.

Funded by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Wiltshire County Council and CRED (Community Recycling and Economic Development Programme), this innovative project has the potential to lead the way in the use of in-vessel composting by schools at a national level.

Liz Harrop, Schools Waste Reduction Officer at WWT, said:
“Schools are increasingly making freshly prepared, healthy food for their pupils. This means there's more kitchen waste which can be composted on-site and used to enhance the school grounds.”

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust promotes a sustainable future for Wildlife and people in the Wiltshire area and works with local authorities to promote a range of sustainability and wildlife conservation projects.

www.wiltshirewildlife.org

Pictured are pupils from Sheldon School, Chippenham, with Yousaf Mirza of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Rocket A500 in-vessel compost machine. Photograph copyright Kirstie Trueman / The Bath Chronicle.

5 Strong Force Sent To Take On The Scots - Remote Highland and Island Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter

Following a successful bid to Increase by Matt Lewis of the Group for Recycling Argyll & Bute (GRAB) Trust, five A700 Rockets (pictured) are made ready to be sent to Lochgilphead for distribution in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland. They will be used to treat green, or green and catering waste in remote areas and on islands. The “Rockets” were supplied through Scottish agents Scottish Organic Services (SOS) who will be providing ongoing support to, and monitoring of, the GRAB project.

This is a pilot scheme to see how, in such remote areas, communities can cope with composting green and catering waste on a larger, more-mechanised scale than hitherto. Three of the A700’s are to be sent to the islands of Mull, Islay and Tiree, and in an innovative approach one, to be situated at Tighnabruaich, is to be modified to run on energy from renewable sources (solar, hydro and wind). Feedback on performance and benefits from all locations will be collated for reporting to the council.

It is hoped that this use of the Rocket In-Vessel composter will serve as a model for other such remote communities throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Young Offenders Waste Gets The Rocket Treatment - North East England Prison Composting Using Rocket In Vessel Composter

HMYOI Deerbolt have had some fantastic success using their Rocket Composter in Barnard Castle County Durham, the recycling facility is overseen by Allan and Dean who are working with the inmates on a new government project in waste management which will see them leave with either an NVQ or similar accreditation after undertaking a 12 week course whilst at the Institute.

Young Offenders Waste Gets The Rocket Treatment
Click image to enlarge

The inmates are presently involved in all aspects of the composting process from separation of waste, loading and monitoring and finally collection and sieving, the compost then being put into dedicated bays for final maturation.

The results of their efforts being very positive having produced some of the best compost we have ever seen !

Cheshire County Councils Conway Centre Composter - Cheshire County Council Schools Residential Site Composting Of Food Waste Using Rocket In Vessel Composter

Cheshire County Councils Conway Centre Composter
Click image to enlarge

Our own County Council approached us earlier this year , looking for a solution to the food waste generated at the Conway Centre , instead of using traditional and perhaps "unethical" diposal methods. After several meetings , demonstrations and site visits , the County Council and members of the Conway Centre decided upon the use of our A700 Rocket Composter for their exemplar site. Pictures showing the housing chosen to hold the machine and the Rocket ready for work.

The Conway Centre is a large, short term, residential educational facility set in idyllic surroundings on the island of Anglesey North Wales.

The Centre occupies 170 acres of National Trust parkland and gardens which extend down to the Menai Strait and include a Private Dock, Adventure Playground, Tipi, Playing Fields, Natural Ponds, Sheltered Shoreline and Mature Woodlands.

The site has over 300 beds can offer groups a variety of fully catered accommodation, workspace and activity options. Whether your group is 250, 25 or even smaller we can help you design a course to fit your needs.

Qualified expertise is available for the Arts, Field Studies and Outdoor Education. All of our senior staff are qualified teachers and hold a high level of qualification in a wide variety of disciplines.

In addition, the Centre is well known for the opportunities offered for large or small groups to run their own courses completely delivered by themselves in a residential-setting with full backup from our staff for planning and organisation.

www.conwaycentre.co.uk

Aardvark's Spotted In Lambeth - Community Composting Of Household Wastes In London Using Rocket In Vessel Composter

Aardvark recycling , one of the newest projects within the London Boroughs , took delivery of two A900 Rocket Composters earlier this year , for use in treating the kitchen waste collected from their rounds in Lambeth. The machines pictured can be clearly seen with the early stages of a barrier to separate the "dirty" waste processing area and also the "clean" finished product treatment area.

Aardvark Recycling is a new social enterprise set up to deliver innovative and cutting-edge recycling and reuse projects to selected estates in Lambeth.

Recycling has become a part of our everyday lives. Councils all over the country provide regular kerbside collections of recyclable materials such as paper, glass and plastic to make recycling easier for everyone.

Aardvark aims to provide the same services to as many people in Lambeth as possible, by bringing doorstep collections to residents on estates. Aardvark will bring dry recyclable collections, food waste, appliance reuse, vegetable boxes and educational & community involvement projects to the residents doorsteps.

Over the coming months, Aardvark recycling will roll out a range of reuse and recycling services to residents of estates in the Stockwell, Larkhall and Clapham Town wards. The first service collects food waste and dry recyclables, and will be followed by a furniture collection and reuse scheme, a reusable nappy laundry service and a vegetable box scheme.

Aardvark’s kitchen waste collection service operates on a weekly basis. On the designated day, Aardvark Recycling Operatives will collect kitchen waste and take it to a local processing site where it will be turned into compost. This compost will then be made available to residents and community groups that are interested in greening their area.

The Aardvark kitchen caddy and bin liners have been specially designed for this service. The kitchen caddies chosen have a special lid that can be locked when the handle is brought forwards, while the bin liners are made out of a biodegradable material which means that they can be composted along with the rest of the kitchen waste.

During the week, all residents need to do is place their kitchen waste in the kitchen caddy using the special bin liners provided. Then, on the day the Recycling Operatives are due to make the rounds on estates, residents must make sure that they put the filled bin liner, secured by a tight knot, outside their front door.

www.aardvarkrecycling.org.uk

The London Community Recycling Network: The London Community Recycling Network (London CRN) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports, promotes and represents community recyclers in London. It has a membership of nearly 150 organisations of all shapes and sizes working across the Capital with one common goal: to value the community over profit. London CRN was instrumental in helping Aardvark Recycling get off the ground.