Product complaints
If you are unsatisfied with the quality of certified compost supplied by one of our certified compost producers, please contact the relevant certification body. If you are not sure which of the certification bodies you should contact, please get in touch with REAL who will guide you through the complaints procedures.
REAL contact details: TEL 0207 981 0875, email: info@realschemes.org.uk
Where possible, any complaint about a compost producer on the Scheme should be submitted by filling in the REAL CCS complaint form. If you can't fill in the form for any reason, please contact REAL.
Once the complaint has been received by the relevant certification body, an investigation will be conducted. Within 5 working days from receipt of the complaint, the certification body shall commence the investigation into the cause of the complaint and seek action to resolve it. This may require the involvement of the regulator, and/or spot check visits to be carried out. To access more information about individual investigations, the actions taken and outcomes, you can read summaries and download the completed Investigation Report Forms in the Case Studies section of our website.
To view the Product Complaint Investigation Report Form template, you can download it here.
Making a complaint about the Scheme, Certification Bodies, or Laboratories
The complaint procedures for complaining about the scheme or the certification bodies are specified in section 13 of the Scheme rules.
Complaints about the Certification Bodies
1.Any complaints from participating compost producers about the services provided by the certification bodies shall be submitted to the relevant certification body at first and include the following information:
- Organisation name and contact details;
- Name and contact details of the person within the organisation making the complaint; and
- Description of the aspects of the service that the complaint refers to.
2.Upon receipt of a complaint, the certification body shall promptly inform REAL and investigate into the complaint according to the certification body’s internal complaint procedures. It shall also take any necessary actions to address the complaint, report on the outcome to REAL and ensure that the complainant is kept informed in writing of the outcome of the complaint.
3.If the complainant remains unsatisfied of the outcome of the investigation, the complaint shall be referred to REAL and the complainant shall be informed accordingly.
4.Each time it meets, or upon request, REAL’s Compost Certification Scheme Technical Advisory Committee shall be provided with an anonymised list of all complaints about the certification body, including the number and a summary of their subjects and outcomes.
Appeal against certification bodies’ decisions
1.Any individual who or organisation that appeals a decision taken by the certification body shall follow the certification body’s relevant appeal procedures.
2.The certification body shall keep REAL informed of all appeals received, their subjects and outcomes.
3.If the individual or organisation who made the appeal remains unsatisfied of the outcome of the CB’s appeal procedures, the case shall be referred to REAL and the individual or organisation shall be informed accordingly.
Complaints about the Laboratories
For any complaints that you would like to make against one of the CCS Approved Laboratories, please use the CCS Laboratory Complaint Form and contact details listed below. REAL CCS requests that you copy us into these emails using the email address info@realschemes.co.uk.
- Andrewshead@alliancetechnical.co.uk, Andrew Shead, Alliance Technical Laboratories Ltd
- Sandra.Davies@dandfassociates.co.uk, Sandra Davies, D&F Associates Ltd
- Sean.stevenson@nrm.uk.com, Sean Stevenson, NRM (a division of Cawood Scientific Ltd)
Complaints procedures
You can access further information about the complaints and appeals procedures here. These have been updated in REAL's Compost Certification Scheme Rules Issue 1 Revision 7 (I1 R7) Section 13.