A number of recognised industry standards have been published in Australia to support the development of quality products made from compostable organics that meet customer's expectations.

Note that three of these product standards have recently been revised. The ROU publications referring to these standards have been released as Second Editions incorporating these changes.

Producing Quality Compost provides an excellent overview of standards that apply to a range of recycled organics products, such as:

• AS 4454 (2003) - Composts, Soil conditioners and Mulches
• AS 3743 (2003) - Potting Mixes
• AS/NZS 4422 (1996) - Playground Surfacing
• AS 4419 (2003) - Soils for Landscaping and Garden Use

The Buyers Guide for Recycled Organics Products provides you with a guide as to how you can use these national standards to buy high quality products. Please see this guide for more information.

For products that do not have national quality standards, the Buyers Guide for Recycled Organics Products highlights key issues that you need to be aware of, as many may not be fit-for-purpose. Use of these products can carry a number of risks, and these are identified in the guide. Products categories for which no standards exist include:

• Shredded plant materials (e.g. non-pasteurised mulches)
• Vermiculture products (e.g. non-pasteurised vermicast and liquid products, note that pasteurised vermicast is now classified as a soil conditioner by AS 4454-2003)
• Non-standard compost-derived products (e.g. aqueous compost extract)
• Specialised recycled organics products (e.g. biofiltration products)
• Re-processed food organics products (e.g. stock feed)

If you need assistance in how to use recycled organics products with confidence - the guide How to Use Recycled Organics Products is for you.