Initial research as to potential methods and working practice were carried out from late 2004 onward with funding for the work supplied by the Community Recycling and Economic Development Programme (C.R.E.D.).   Various methods are currently utilised for composting kitchen waste, however in vessel anaerobic digestion was identified as the most efficient and sustainable option.

Funding from Leader+ and the Sustainable Development Fund allowed the project to move forward, providing for a building and the equipment required for anaerobic digestion and composting.

Collections of kitchen waste began on 7 th November 2006, having been offered to all residents of Honiton, Combe Raleigh and nearby Dunkeswell on a weekly basis.

Each participant received a 10 litre "kitchen caddy" and 30 litre collection bin, and practical advice on the material that could be composted.   At it's peak, the Alchemy project collected from 500 households (20% of houses in the collection area) - impressive for a voluntarily supported service.

The single largest problem the Alchemy Project faced was to satisfy the legal requirements for composting material on a commercial scale, monitored by the State Veterinary Service.   Otter Rotters were successful in being the first community composting association to be awarded a licence to compost kitchen waste early in 2007, satisfying a range of criteria hitherto achieved only by commercial plants.

After a year of successful collections and composting, kerbside collections of kitchen waste ended in November 2007, having reached the end of the funded collection period.

Various options for continuing the service on a contributionary basis were considered, but these were eventually abandoned in light of East Devon District Council, in partnership with SITA UK trialing kitchen waste collections with a view to rolling out the service across East Devon.