Biodegradable waste such as food waste and green waste can be transformed into a valuable product - compost.

The most recent figures show that nearly three and a half million tonnes of waste material was collected and composted in 2005/06 in the UK, a rise of 28% on the previous year. In total 85% of this was municipal waste with just over half of the municipal waste coming from materials deposited at civic amenity sites. From this just over two million tonnes of compost products were produced, nearly half of which was sold, the majority direct to end users, to use as a soil improver, but also as a growing medium, turf dressing and for topsoil.

Most compost comes from 'green waste', waste such as hedge trimmings and grass cuttings. But food wastes, certain biodegradable industrial waste and other organics are also used to make compost and are becoming more significant in terms of volumes being collected, with increasing numbers of local authorities now offering separate doorstep collection of food waste