HCWP participate in Community Learning Exchange.
10 October 2024
On Thursday 19 September, the Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT) hosted a Community Learning Exchange (CLE) through the Scottish Community Alliance for the Highland In Vessel Composting Common Interest Group (CIG).
Lesley Hawkins, HCWP Project Officer for Lochaber Environmental Group (LEG) applied for CLE funding to explore the composting support that MICT has provided across Mull. Lesley, Brenna Anderson, HCWP Project Officer for Highland Good Food Partnership and Luisa Riascos from SAC Consulting have been working together with Helen Lavery from Zero Waste Scotland to develop the CIG which launched on 24th April 2024.
Seven people in total attended the visit, which began with a presentation from MICT on their composting efforts, followed by tours of three different composting sites.
The visit allowed us all to learn about and understand a range of different composting vessels that have been used by MICT in supporting local composting initiatives. We were given information about what type of composters had been provided in different situations, such as a Biolan for a group of self-catering cottages and a Ridan for a local Café in Tobermory. In total MICT provided 6 Biolan, 6 Hotbins and 3 Ridans, and a Big Hanna (later to become 2) for various composting initiatives across Mull. One of the Big Hanna composters had recently been relocated to the Inverness Botanic Gardens. Pamela Sutherland, Head Gardener, attended the CLE to learn more about its operation, the necessary maturation processes and its practical applications.
Ben, from Knoydart Community Farm, noted that the visit provided hands-on experience with various composting systems, both powered and manual. Seeing these systems in action, and examining the compost produced, allowed for deeper discussions on what solutions might be suitable for the farm and the wider Knoydart peninsula.
Ben said, “It was inspiring to see the amount and range of work that had been achieved in setting up the composting scheme in Mull. I really hope we can apply some of this to our community in Knoydart. I’m really grateful to Lesley for organising this learning exchange. The event was really successful.”
Another of the attendees, John from Ardtornish Estate, found the visit valuable for discussing challenges related to food waste input from visitors of their holiday lets, who are accustomed to different waste collection systems. Hylda at Island Holiday Cottages was able to share the issues they’ve encountered and the solutions implemented for managing food waste from holiday lets for their Biolan composter.
Ewan Baxter from MICT, who led on the composting projects, was able to provide hands-on experience and feedback, along with reassurance that “trial and error” with the mix is all part of the learning process. Each machine, and even each load, can behave differently. His practical advice was reassuring for those facing similar challenges.
It was also useful to hear that sometimes the systems were not quite right for a particular setting or location. MICT addressed this by relocating composters when individuals moved or when organisational needs changed. By making use of local volunteer gardeners, they were also able to support any new installations as not everyone is confident in making compost.
Both Ewan and Hazel were very open about the difficulties that they faced, especially with their project to develop a household kitchen waste collection, and how Covid impacted on their project. They noted that the 2-year lifespan of the project was not really long enough and had too many ‘arms’. In hindsight, they recommended a longer project with a more focused scope, allowing time for gathering data and providing ongoing support as needed.
Ewan provided an example of one of the SEPA registration forms and explained how MICT helped with required exemption forms for all installations. Additionally, attendees received instruction sheets for both the BIolan and Ridan composters.
Ewan said, "By sharing the insights we’ve gained from our composting efforts, we are effectively contributing high-quality compost to others" and "Making contact with other groups doing similar things, really helps motivate us, especially in rural areas."
As part of the visit we were able to see different composters in situ, but also discuss other, related, circular solutions that MICT deliver on. This included a small tour of the Isle of Mull Cheese Farm and Distillery (that had hosted the Big Hannah compost machines), where the owner talked about the other ways that they manage their food waste. This includes growing their own foods for in their kitchens, and using the whey (by-product from the cheese making) to distil into whey-based spirits (Gin, Vodka and Whisky types).
Other positive results of the visit have included the sharing of information and solutions between the attendees, fostered collaboration between attendees, allowing them to learn more about each other’s challenges and solutions. The information gathered will be further collated, and where possible, put into a format to be shared across the CIG and posted to Highland Community Composting Resource in the form of a case study.
Learn more about HCWP food waste reduction and composting initiatives here.
