Product complaints

If you are unsatisfied with the quality of certified digestate supplied by one of our certified digestate 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 digestate producer on the Scheme should be submitted by filling in the REAL BCS 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 or Certification Bodies

The complaint procedures for complaining about the scheme or the certification bodies are specified in section 11 of the Scheme Rules.

Complaints about the Certification Bodies

1. Any complaints from participating operators 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 follow its own complaint procedures and 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. The certification body will record the complaint, any actions taken to investigate the complaint, and the results of the investigation.
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 Biofertiliser Certification Scheme Oversight Panel 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. An operator must make known the reasons for the appeal and provide evidence to support it.
   
3. The certification body shall follow its own appeal procedures and shall keep REAL informed of all appeals received, their subjects and outcomes.
   
4. 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 BCS Approved Laboratories, please use the BCS Laboratory Complaint Form and contact details listed below. REAL BCS 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
• sarah.pitcher@nrm.uk.com, Sarah Pitcher, NRM Ltd

Complaints procedures

You can access further information about the complaints and appeals procedures here.