Composting Trial for Seafish

Summary

With increasing environmental controls and restrictions on the disposal of animal byproducts, the seafood industry is in urgent need of alternative disposal outlets. Trials in 2003 showed that composting was a suitable process for treating different types of seafood waste. Since then, commercial scale trials with composting companies have been carried out. In 2005, Seafish commissioned a project in North-West England to assess the suitability of commercial scale composting for the disposal of cooked whelk waste. Cooked whelk waste, comprising flesh and shell, was provided by AM Seafoods of Fleetwood. TEG Environmental carried out the composting, using their commercial facility near Preston. Cooked whelk processing waste was delivered to the TEG site during March and April 2005 and mixed with amendment material comprising shredded green waste, draff (spent grain), broiler litter and recycled compost. The mixed material was then composted in the TEG system. The project found that whelk waste is suitable for treatment in a commercial composting system and, providing it is properly mixed with other materials, can be used in land based applications. Composting is a potential solution for shellfish waste but it is preferable to use soft shell, shell with high levels of flesh attached or ensure shell is well ‘diluted’ with other feedstocks to prevent elevated calcium levels.

Author

• Dr Alan Heyworth

Publication Reference No.

SR582

Publication date

01 November 2005