Horse manure is defined as animal products, not hazardous waste
Víðidalur has extensive facilities for horsemanship and everything that comes with it. Morgunblaðið/Ómar Óskarsson
The amount that accumulates due to the large number of horses in the capital area, along with stricter regulations regarding landfills, is the main reason that horsemen in several municipalities in the capital area are now required to take horse manure for disposal at Sorpa.
On Saturday we spoke with Linda Björk Gunnlaugsdóttir, chairwoman of the National Association of Horsemen's Associations, and Guðmundur Björgvinsson, a horseman in Mosfellsbær, who were surprised by this change, but it is a considerable cost for horsemen. At Sorpa, they pay a reception fee of 25.68 krónur per kilogram. A Sorpa spokesperson stated that the fee reflected the handling and disposal cost.
Morgunblaðið spoke to Hörður Þorsteinsson, the director of the Health Inspectorate of Garðabær, Hafnarfjörður, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær and Seltjarnarnes, who knows the matter well. Þorsteinsson agrees with horse owners who have criticized the high fee they have to pay at Sorpa, but believes that the fee can be reduced with cooperation between Sorpa, horse owners, and the municipalities.
The quantity is the problem
The problem, however, is the large number of horses in the capital area and who should bear the cost of bringing the dung to Sorpa or to large areas where the dung can be used for fertilizing.
“There seems to be a big misunderstanding going on that Sorpa has defined horse dung as hazardous waste. This is organic waste or ABP. It is defined as animal by-products that are not used as feed or for human consumption. This needs to be addressed somewhere and the rules regarding this have become stricter. "We are not allowed to landfill organic waste according to European Union regulations, but we could utilize the value of horse manure and thus support the circular economy," Þorsteinsson says. The volume is the biggest problem in the capital area, as horse riding is popular.
