Technical Guide 08: The production and use of digestate as biofertiliser

Production and use of Biofertilisers from the Anaerobic Digestion of source separated Organic Wastes

Technical Guidance 8 (TG 8) has been produced to share knowledge and explain the framework that has been developed to eliminate the barriers to using digestate as a fertiliser product.  Aligned with Fertmark1 the framework details how digestate from the anaerobic digestion of source separated organic wastes can become certified biofertiliser products.  This removes the need for costly and time-consuming resource consents for digestate application to land and creates opportunities for the sale of digestate as biofertiliser products.

TG 8 aims to remove a major barrier to wider uptake of AD for recycling of source segregated organic waste by providing a clear specification to plant operators to produce consistently high-quality market-acceptable biofertiliser.  With the exception of compost, the application of organic waste material to land is governed by the Biosolids Guidelines (2003) and its successor version, the Guidelines for Beneficial Use of Organic Materials on Land 2 (awaiting publication).  Subsequently the use of digestates is subject to an extensive permitting process.