AfOR Compost Certified

The AfOR Compost Certified program establishes whether compost qualifies as a regulated 'product' or must be treated as 'waste' under UK law — a distinction with significant commercial and legal consequences. To achieve product status, compost sold in England and Wales must conform to both PAS 100 (the British Standards Institution's Publicly Available Specification for Composted Materials) and the Compost Quality Protocol (CQP), developed by the Environment Agency and WRAP. Compost sold in Scotland and Northern Ireland must meet PAS 100 only. Without certification, compost — including material sold through garden centres and retail outlets — must be handled and regulated as waste.

This certification is administered by the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR), the UK's leading trade body for the biodegradable waste management industry, now operating through the Organics Recycling Group (ORG) following its 2013 merger with the Renewable Energy Association. Third-party independent verification underpins the scheme, giving certified producers a credible, recognised quality mark that supports access to agricultural, horticultural, and land restoration markets.

This program is best suited for compost producers, organic waste processors, and composting facilities operating in the UK that sell or intend to sell compost commercially. It is particularly relevant for businesses supplying retail channels, farm operations, or land restoration projects where demonstrating legal product status — rather than waste status — is essential for market access and regulatory compliance.