The Process
Councils and independent waste collection companies bring their waste to us. We turn it into beautiful, quality certified compost.
1 Waste put into bins
Residents from East and North Herts put their green and kitchen waste in their green bins.
2 Waste is picked up
Green (North Herts) and white (East Herts) council trucks pick up the co-mingled waste.
3 Trucks are weighed
Trucks come to Cumberlows and get weighed before tipping at the Cumberlows site.
4 Green waste tipped
Pure green waste from commercial landscape gardeners, skip lorries or from Household Recycling Centres can be tipped in the outside bay.
5 Reception barn
Any waste that falls under The Animal By Products (ABPR) must be tipped here.
6 ABPR waste clamped
ABPR waste goes into In Vessel clamps where oxygen is blown through the waste and temperature probes are inserted into the waste.
7 65-80° for 4+ days
The waste must reach temperatures in excess of 65 degrees (temperatures normally reach 80 degrees) for minimum of 4 consecutive days.
8 Waste is mixed
After the required temperatures have been achieved the sanitised waste comes out of the clamps and goes on to the maturation pad where it is mixed with the green waste.
9 Graded after 7 weeks
After 7 weeks on the maturation pad the waste is then screened and contamination is removed leaving a finished compost which is then graded.
10 Agricultural grade
A 40 mm grade is produced for agriculture.
11 Horticulture grade
A 10mm grade is produced under the product name ‘Ace of Herts’ and sold for Horticulture purposes.
