"Using and Marketing Compost: Strategies and Trends"

1. "Using and Marketing Compost: Strategies and Trends" Josef Barth, ECN and INFORMA, Germany

2. "Compost Marketing is Based on Local Confidence" How to create confidence of customers: • Competent staff and adviser (with green thumb) • Brown nose marketing (customers must smell compost) • Standardised and quality assured products • Based on clean products from separate collection • Trustworthy recommendations for compost use • Marketing like the peat and bark industry

3. Expectations of Compost Users 94 % of the commercialcompost userswant to have: A uniform, high quality product that is independently monitored and accompanied by product use specifications => Quality assurance for compost production

4. Quality Assurance and Labels for Compost and Digestion Residues UK QAS Monitoring in total: 620 plants with capacity of9 million tons composting and 2 million tons digestion

5. Quality Assurance and Marketing • = compost with defined product properties is marketable on a large scale

6. EU Market Shares of compost Sales and Market size Good EU Average

7. Main Markets:No. 1: Agriculture • Standard qualities, often fresh compost (D) or digestion residuals (D/SWE) • No compost = official recommendation • Individual farmers can be convinced

8. Signs of a Future Approach? Value of compost for soil quality and fertility increases in agriculture – here example of Italy : • Region Emilia Romagna pays 220 A$/ha to use compost and promote a build-up of carbon in depleted soils • Region Piemonte pays 290 A$ € /ha to use up to 25 tonnes dry matter/ha in depleted soils over a 5 years’ time frame on arable land

9. Main Markets:No. 2: Landscaping • High quality product for e.g. potting soils, growing media • Product development is necessary in accordance with end-user requirements • Solutions are required, not only compost • Strong competition with peat and bark based products

10. Main Markets:No. 3: Private Gardens • Standard qualities and specialproducts • Large target group (= the Public) • Important for compost image • Expensive public relation • Expensive packaging and distribution • BUT! Compost is supplied to raw material suppliers

11. Main Markets:No. 3: Private / Hobby Gardens Examples for cost reductionin sales to private customers No work – no money - no dirt Self service with multiway bin

12. Main Markets: No. 4: Reclamation outlet • Till now: • very big outlet for compost • for lower qualities too (landfill covers) • But for the future as a reaction of the "compost landfilling": • => compost according to the needs = poor soils (limitation of K an P nutrients)

13. Quality composts Greenhouses 30 – 70 A$ Sports turf25 – 70 A$ Landscaping25 - 40 A$ Nurseries25 - 60 A$ Top soil mix15 - 25 A$ Hobbygardens7 - 30 A$ Org. farms3 - 10 A$ Wine + fruit3 - 6 A$ Landfill cover0 - 6 A$ Agriculture?0 - 6 A$ Additional specifications EU Quality Ranges and Sales Prices for Compost Standard qualities

14. Two Marketing Trendsfor Compost or Little or no marketing for high volume markets that require only standard product quality, such as agriculture ► Organic waste treatment plant Specialised marketing for high quality compost products supplied to high value markets e.g. growing media - large range of value added products- specialised, tailor-made mixtures ► Humus and soil production plant ► SMS points (Saturday Morning Service)

15. Large Range of Compost Products Provide a large range of different compost / bark products Bagged for residents Bulk for commercial clients

16. SMS = Saturday Morning Service SMS at sites provides everything what gardeners need on a Saturday morning e.g. compost, bark, sand, stones, gravel Bulk supply Drop-off area for garden organics Compost super market

17. Recommandations and Specifications for Use Basic tool to develop compost markets if properly done. In co-operation with end-user organisations!

18. Marketingwith posters Blühende Kaffeefilter Blooming Coffee Filters Our soil Tasty Green Cuttings creates benefit Space forlogo & address Our soil creates benefit

19. Marketing: Advertisement The more healthy the soil, the better the harvest T h e P o w e r o f C o m p o s t Combined advertisement by several producers/plants

20. Professional Marketing - Competitive to Peat/Bark Industry FLORATOP compost products presentation in a supermarket chain. Return of up to 70 Euro/cbm!!!!

21. Marketing lessons learnt ► Marketing must be competitive with peat/bark It should comprise: • Market research and analysis of the regional market • Establishment of a market profile, regionally modified • Development of various product types and qualities • Sales activities and sales promotion • Information and advice regarding product use • Public relations work to raise awareness and image ► This can't be supplied by each individual plantSupport and co-operation is required!

22. Producers Co-operative VKN 3 Bio- + 6 Green waste plants - 100 x 150 km area 40.000 t of compost - 70 % to agriculture, 20 % for landscaping, 10 % for residential gardens • Advantages of Central VKN Office • 1. Cost savings by bundling of activities for • - Application advice • - Acquisition of customers • - Purchase and sales • - Production control • - Authority contracts • 2. Uniformity of products and prices • 3. Common PR and advertisement Transport distances up to 50 km

23. Conclusions of European Experiences • Compost can be marketed on a large scale, if • end-user needs are met, • adequate quality assurance is provided • local or regional marketing aspects are utilised, • similar product development and marketing efforts are undertaken as is the case in the peat and bark industry • and co-operations are realised.

24. It is never too early tostart with compost marketing Thank you!