Eco Food Recycling collecting commercial food waste.

When the country is gripped in sub zero temperatures nobody thinks of the “poor old bin man ” who has to go out in all weather conditions.

Although extreme weather causes problems for all refuse collectors it is the companies that have commercial food waste collections that face the biggest problems.

A lot of pubs and hotels who have food waste collections to improve their recycling figures along with adding to their CSR ( corporate social responsibility ) put the food waste into the bins “naked”, meaning that no bags are used.

In the warmer weather this is fine but in the current climate this causes major problems when attempting to empty commercial food waste bins:

• Food waste is very heavy
• Food waste is predominantly water
• Food waste bins are generally left outside, to the elements
• Frozen food waste does not easily come out of the bin when emptied into the refuse cart
• The weight of the food waste puts extreme pressure on the bin when lifted, if it does not exit the bin because it is frozen and can be potentially dangerous causing the bin to break

Of course the answer is heated food waste bins to keep the temperature of the food waste at a level to stop it freezing.

Although this will never happen it does prove that there is a problem and it is the poor old bin man who is left to clear up the rubbish,yet again.

It is now a legal obligation to sign a declaration on your waste transfer note that you have applied the waste hierachy, meaning that food waste must be recycled before the option of sending it to landfill. This declaration is signed by the producer of the waste.

Eco Food Recycling the leading collector of commercial food waste in the south of england are noticing that more and more of their prospective clients were not told by their current waste carriers for the need to have their food waste recycled as opposed to sending to landfill in the general waste bin.

And by educating the customer that it is a legal obligation to have the food waste recycled, Eco Food Recycling have gained many new clients of all sizes and from various sectors including Hotels, Restaurants, Colleges, Universities, Food Producers and Schools.

Food waste from the catering and hospitality sector

For many commercial food waste collection carriers getting new customers has been a problem when the price charged for a 240 ltr food waste bin does not compare to the  price for an 1100 ltr general waste bin.

Until legislation is brought in then the waste producer will obviously choose the cheapest option until forced to do so.This is a problem that many food waste carriers have faced, until recently.

The drivers in food producers having their commercial food waste collected are:

• To improve their CSR ( corporate social responsibility ) This is generally from the larger companies who need to show to their customers, staff and shareholders that they are doing everything to help the environment are morally bound to recycle their food waste.
• To divert their food waste from landfill and aim to have a zero waste to landfill solution. This has been adopted by many blue chip companies including M & S.
• Rising annual landfill tax is forcing many businesses to recycle their food waste as at least a cost neutral excerscise if not actually saving money in the first year.
• Complying with their declaration as regards the Waste Hierarchy.

It is this last point that has been missed by many carriers when tendering for new food waste business or looking to retain their current customers. Below is taken straight from the DEFRA website:

Waste Hierarchy

Many businesses are unaware of how significantly waste impacts on their bottom line. As the demand for materials grows worldwide, raising input costs, it makes sense for businesses to adopt the waste hierarchy.

Article 4 of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) sets out five steps for dealing with waste, ranked according to environmental impact – the ‘waste hierarchy’.

Prevention, which offers the best outcomes for the environment, is at the top of the priority order, followed by preparing for re-use, recycling, other recovery and disposal, in descending order of environmental preference.

The waste hierarchy has been transposed into UK law through the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011. The Regulations came into force on 29 March 2011. The provisions relating to the hierarchy (set out at in Regulations 12, 15 and 35) will come into force on 28 September 2011.

What you need to do

If your business or organisation (including local authorities on behalf of householders) produces or handles waste (this includes importing, producing, carrying, keeping or treating waste; dealers or brokers who have control of waste, and anyone responsible for the transfer of waste), you must take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to:

• prevent waste, and
• apply the waste hierarchy when you transfer waste.

Basically this means that producers of food waste have no alternative in recycling their food waste ( if they have the option to do so ) as opposed to sending it to landfill.

This point has not been overlooked by Eco Food Recycling, the southern based food waste carrier and broker, who offer a national food waste collection service with a zero waste to landfill ethos. They have increased there customer base in very difficult economic times and have provided a service that is wanted and required by the introduction of the Waste Hierarchy.

Food waste at landfill

Back in July last year the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) launched a scheme to finance the instalment of energy-from-food-waste bioprocessing plants for councils and businesses that were interested in reaping the financial benefits of such practice.

Since then only 7 projects have been submitted, all by companies, of which one has been granted the funding. Councils are yet to submit their projects.

“To date, we have seven formal applications in the pipeline, which we are very pleased with at such an early stage of the process. We would certainly look at applications from councils who apply. To date no councils have applied for the AD Loan Fund.” said a WRAP spokesman.

The AD Loan Fund

The ADLF (Anaerobic Digestion Loan Fund) can provide up to £1 million for local authorities private sector or community sector organisations to invest in equipments to optimise and increase food waste collection from small to medium sized enterprises, public sector buildings and larger businesses, and process it in anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.

With landfill tax due to increase to £64 per tonne this year councils could make significant savings by making use of the AD loan fund to invest in energy-from-food-waste bioprocessing plants and divert as much food waste as possible from landfills.

But it is not only on the financial side that councils would be reaping benefits. Environmentally speaking they would reduce their overall carbon footprint and contribute towards a zero waste Britain.

Applications for the current round of funding under the Anaerobic Digestion Loan Fund (ADLF) can be submitted to WRAP before 30 April this year. Individual loans range from £50,000 to £1 million, over a five-year payback period.

According to WRAP the fund is intended to be administered over a four-year period, with phased applications windows from July-October 2011, January-April 2012, June-September 2012 and December-March 2012/13.

Did you know that every year here in the UK we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food from our homes? This costs an average family, with children, around £680 a year or £50 a month, not to mention the environmental implications.

1 – Learn from Previous Years

I’m sure this is not your first Christmas and it won’t be your last either, so by trying to remember what was wasted last year could help you reduce your waste this year.This can be hard because everybody wants to make sure they don’t skimp on their Christmas dinner but try to be realistic with portion sizes.

Remember what the least popular dishes from last year and either make less of them or substitute them with new dishes this year and keep a record for future years.

2 – Store and distribute.

Plastic containers are an option to store your leftovers but to avoid eating turkey, pumpkin pie and other sliced, diced and baked food from Christmas until mid January, why not distribute some leftovers to your relatives? Prepare take away portions into plastic containers for them to take away with them when they leave.

3 – Be Creative with your Leftovers

There are countless options to turn your leftovers into delicious and creative meals. Sandwiches, curries and stews can be made with leftovers from turkey and ham. Turkey’s carcass is well know to make a good stock but if you don’t feel like doing it straight away you can freeze and use it on a later date.

Smoked salmon leftovers can be added to scrambled eggs and put onto toasted muffins or toast. A great option for Boxing Day breakfast with a Bucks fizz!

LoveFoodHateWate.com has an extensive list of ideas and suggestions to help you throw away as little food as possible this holiday.

4 – Organise a Neighbourhood Collection Service

If your county doesn’t have a food waste collection service try to organize an independent food waste collection service from an independent food waste collection and recycling company like Eco Food Recycling.

Not every Local Authority operates a kerbside collection for residential food waste and commercial food waste is totally neglected leaving Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs, Schools and Company Canteens to use Eco Food Recycling in their quest to divert food waste from landfill.

Any business that requires a food waste collection in the UK can contact Eco Food Recycling who will arrange for your food waste to be fully recycled and improve your carbon footprint. At the same time your CSR will benefit from a zero waste to landfill solution.

Those were our tips to help you reduce food waste these holidays. Got a tip you would like share? Use the comments below or head to our Facebook Page and post your tip there.

WRAP’s survey was commissioned in partnership with the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR), the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) and the Renewable Energy Association (REA). They found that separate food waste collection by local authorities rose from 36,000 tonnes in 2008/09 to over 110,000 in April-December 2009. The amount collected has increased six-fold since 2007/08.

Since 2006, WRAP and the afore mentioned industry organisations, have been analysing the UK’s organics recycling industry but this year’s methodology has been improved compared with that applied in previous years. This has ensured the results are more reliable and comprehensive, it has also strengthened insights into their results and the implications.

The study is a complete analysis of the UK’s organic recycling industry from segregation for collection, to the full range of organic waste treatment processes, including anaerobic digestion (AD), in-vessel composting (IVC), mechanical biological treatment (MBT), open air windrow (OAW) composting and thermophilic aerobic digestion (TAD).

Highlights Fact & Figures

• A total of 309 organics recycling sites were identified as operational in 2009, comprising 281 permitted composting sites, 17 AD sites, nine MBT sites, plus two TAD sites (described in Section 3.1).
• Just under 6 million tonnes (Mt) of organic waste was treated at these sites in 2009, this represents an 8.9% growth from the 2008/9 survey excluding MBT.
• 5.5Mt of waste recycled at AD, permitted composting (IVC and OAW) and TAD sites, representing 93% of the total quantity of input waste to the industry
• 0.4Mt processed at MBT sites
• The industry was dominated by a large number of operators running one or two sites (75% of all operators are in this category
• The aggregate turnover of the UK organics recycling industry was estimated to be £229M (Section 3.3.2, Table 3.19);
• The permitted composting sector was estimated to have a turnover of £187M;
• Turnover per tonne of material at composting sites ranged from £30 (OAW composting systems) to £61 (IVC systems);
• The AD sector was estimated to have a turnover of £11M, calculated to be equivalent to £105/t;
• Business rates were estimated to cost composting sites £2.45/t of material processed
• A minimum of 2325 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees were engaged in organics recycling
• The composting sector is thought to be largely reliant upon gate fees as the primary source of revenue in their business models.
• Aerobic composting was the dominant treatment method, accounting for 91% of permitted/licensed sites and 90% of waste. 17 AD plants (5.5%) were in operation, although these only treated 1.0% of the total quantity of input waste.

For a copy of the full report click HERE.

As a succinct conclusion from this survey we can say that that the quantity of compost manufactured in the UK is growing year on year and still is the main organic waste treatment process. However, food waste recycling by IVC (in vessel composting) showed the greatest increase in quantities of food waste treated. While Anaerobic Digestions (AD) showed no significant changes but new government policies to take place in the following years will certainly change those figures.

These findings are in line with Eco Food Recycling’s growth rate, who have recently achieved the staggering mark of 1 million kilos of food waste collected and recycled in only 8 months of operations. Since this figure was reached the company has reached it’s next million in only 3 months and business is growing at a rapid rate.

The contents of this article used as reference data from the following websites:

http://www.organics-recycling.org.uk/
http://www.wrap.org.uk/
http://www.adbiogas.co.uk/
http://www.r-e-a.net/

The landmark of 1,000 tonnes of food waste which is collected and then recycled at Eco Sustainable Solutions site next to Bournemouth Airport is turned into a nutrient rich compost after a prolonged 14 week process.

Eco Food Recycling collect commercial food waste from hotels, restaurants, pubs, shopping centres, food producers, schools and universities, leisure and theme parks as well as company canteens to name a few.

Although the vast majority of the commercial food waste is collected locally before being taken to the disposal site the company also operate a national food waste collection and recycling service through its network partnership programme.

Food waste collections are on the increase and Eco Food Recycling are being inundated with requests from all parts of the hospitality and catering sector of the market. By having a disposal site so close to hand as Eco Sustainable Solutions is a bonus as it is recognised as one of the finest in vessel composting facilities in the country.

Food waste will shortly be going to the new AD plant that is being constructed near Dorchester where the food waste will be turned into renewable energy.

Images courtesy of Deep South Media.

Commercial food waste - Andy Jones, Peter Hardy, Simon Heaps

Eco Food Recycling Directors Andy Jones and Simon Heaps with Peter Hardy from Eco Sustainable Solutions

Commercial food waste collections are now made in Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire, Witshire, Surrey and Sussex on their fleet of vehicles but Eco Food Recycling are now also able to offer a national food waste collection service through their national partnership programme.

Food waste created from the catering and hospitality sector

Southern based commercial food waste collection and recycling company Eco Food Recycling have seen dramatic growth in their business as they enter their second year of food waste collections.

The company who are now the leading southern independant food waste collection and recycling specialist commenced commercial food waste collections in August 2010 and by the end of December last year were collecting 30 tonnes of food waste per month.

With collections of commercial food waste coming from the catering and hospitality sector that includes Hotels, Restaurants and Pubs along with food producers and company canteens the rise in collections has increased in excess of 800% as the company are now collecting over 260 tonnes of food waste per month.

Commercial food waste that is collected by Eco Food Recycling can be either as a straightforward bin collection or in bulk by containers and  enclosed skip compactors where tonnage price and haulage is arranged.

Eco Food Recycling operate with their own vehicles throughout Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Surrey and Sussex whereby all commercial food waste collected is 100 % recycled following the company’s zero waste to landfill ethos.

As well as collecting commercial food waste on their fleet of vehicles Eco Food Recycling also offer a national food waste collection service through their national food waste collection partnership programme.

Hospitality and catering food waste

The hospitality sector includes hotels, pubs and restaurants when you are talking about food waste and Eco Food Recycling are collecting and recycling food waste from famous names such as Whitbread, Premier Inn,Beefeater, Hotel du Vin, Malmaison and Ramada to name but a few.

Catering food waste accounts for a high percentage of commercial food waste in the UK and includes schools, Colleges and Universities as well as company canteens. Eco Food Recycling are currently collecting from three B & Q sites at their headquarters in Chandlers Ford along with Universities at Southampton and Winchester as well as local schools in Bournemouth.

Eco Food Recycling use a local food waste disposal site in Bournemouth for all of their hospitality and catering food waste and  a lot of the food waste collected is from a local shopping centre and a nearby premium leisure park. Theme parks such as Paultons Park at Ower near Southampton have their food waste collected by Eco Food Recycling and have been reaping the rewards in their increased recycling figures.

Another major coup for the Ringwood based food waste collection and recycling company is the agreement to collect all food waste from 18 Waitrose supermarkets in the south of england.

As well as these large corporate names the company are also collecting food waste from businesses of all sizes as they too look to divert food waste from landfill.

Eco Food Recycling offer a national food waste collection, disposal and recycling service to the hospitality and catering sector in the UK

Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State DEFRA

DEFRA produced its Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011  this week ( 14th June ) and food waste collections both commercial and domestic featured very highly as the Government looks to divert waste from landfill.

Caroline Spelman pointed out in her Ministerial Foreward:

Waste is a major contributor to methane emissions and, if not managed properly, can harm our environment and damage communities. Waste can also be a source of renewable energy, and a source of valuable materials to enable a more sustainable use of our material resources.

We are committed to working towards a zero waste economy as part of the transition to a green economy and our committment to be the greenest government ever.

Together we can go further and faster to move waste out of landfill towards greater recycling, re-use and, in particular, greater waste prevention.

Food waste in particular had a big part to play in the waste review and the following extracts highlighted the problems that food waste from the commercial and residential sectors can affect all of us.

We have already identified food waste as a priority waste-stream for action as it goes
to landfill in considerable quantities, and accounts for almost half of all waste CO2eq
emissions. The total annual food waste arisings in Britain are estimated at around
16 million tonnes with at least 40% of this disposed to landfill.

Our overall, long-term, vision is that:
■  We substantially reduce the amount of food wasted;

■ Food waste that does arise is recognised as a valuable resource, and is processed to produce renewable energy and a bio fertiliser so that nutrients are returned to the soil;

■ No food waste goes to landfill.

Landfill should be the last resort for biodegradable waste. The landfill tax will remain the key driver
to divert waste from landfill and remains necessary to ensure we meet key EU targets in 2020.

These are some key points that have been selected so that commercial food waste can be identified to be diverted from landfill and processed either by IVC ( in vessel composting ) or AD ( anaerobic digestion ).

Eco Food Recycling offer a commercial food waste collection and recycling service across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex and now are pleased to announce that they can offer a national food waste collection and recycling service through its extensive partnership programme around the UK.

These are very busy and exciting times for Ringwood based food waste specialists, ECO Food Recycling Ltd. Since they started trading in May 2010 there has been a steady build up of interest and business, with many local and national companies adopting a food waste recycling policy.

The most recent blue chip company to utilise the service is Waitrose, the food chain of the John Lewis Partnership.  Cawleys, who have the national food waste contract for the John Lewis Partnership, have awarded the southern area to ECO Food Recycling.

After several meetings and a site visit to ECO Sustainable Solutions at Parley, Waitrose Recycling & Waste Manager, Mike Walters and Cawleys key account manager for Waitrose, Fiona Serrecchia, were more than satisfied that ECO Food Recycling would be able to offer the level of service and support Waitrose required.

ECO Food Recycling will be collecting from eighteen Waitrose supermarkets in the South of England. There will be collections twice a week from June, including local stores in Ringwood, Winton, Parkstone, Wimborne and Christchurch. Initially the waste will go for composting at ECO Sustainable Solutions in Parley but, once their AD plant (Anaerobic Digestion) at Piddle Hinton is operational later this year, all of the waste from the 18 branches will be turned into renewable energy.

Mike Walters of Waitrose says “We’re passionate about protecting the environment – and so are our customers. We are constantly working across our business to minimise our impact.  We’ve been sending food waste to anaerobic digestion since 2008, and for us it is the best route for disposing of the food we cannot use, as it produces a positive output.  We’re also dedicated to reducing food waste throughout our supply chain and promoting practical ways to help shoppers reduce their food waste at home.”

Month-on-month collection figures have risen dramatically as more and more business see the benefits of recycling their food waste. On average, ECO Food Recycling are now collecting over 100 tonnes of food waste a month which will increase once Waitrose collections commence. Although this waste stream is only 20% of the volume of any businesses waste it can often equate to 80% of the weight. By having it collected a business can make a significant reduction in their carbon footprint figures, manage their waste streams more effectively and recycle in a more environmentally friendly manner.

With the impending waste review likely to outline stricter guidelines for the disposal of food waste, ECO Food Recycling Director Andy Jones feels now is the time for companies to act “ So many companies wait until the last minute to implement change and the vast majority have no idea how much food waste they produce. It can take time to bed in a food waste solution so we work very hard to ensure our customers have the right solution for the amount they produce, taking into account seasonal fluctuations and any other influencing factors”

For further details contact:  sales@ecofoodrecycling.co.uk or view the companies website www.ecofoodrecyling.co.uk

Food waste at landfill

With the imminent publication of the DEFRA’S waste review strategy next week, which is expected to propose legislation on food waste being diverted from landfill in the future,momemtum is building from many sectors to divert food waste from landfill immediately.

Eco Food Recycling the southern based food waste collection and recycling company who offer a national UK food waste collection round are being inundated with enquiries to collect commercial food waste from businesses of all sizes.

Hotels, Restaurants, Pub chains,Schools and Universities, Company Canteens, Supermarkets and Food Producers are among the businesses that are looking to start the service from Eco Food Recycling shortly as they look to increase their recycling figures by diverting the food waste from landfill and having it 100 % recycled.

With the recent rise in landfill tax the monetary factor for food waste collection and recycling can actually become “cost neutral” as environmentally minded companies look to recycle food waste before legislation forces them in the future.

Food waste recycling normally is split into two processes, AD ( anaerobic digestion ) and IVC ( in vessel composting ) and Eco Food Recycling are fully committed to both food waste recycling methods as they support their zero waste to landfill ethos, now and in the future.

Currently all food waste collected by Eco Food Recycling is taken to Eco Sustainable Solutions near Bournemouth Airport where the food waste is processed by in vessel composting. In the early stages of 2012 a new AD plant will be opened in West Dorset and the food waste will be turned into renewable energy.

Eco Food Recycling offer  commercial food waste collection and recycling rounds in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex along with a national food waste collection service in association with its partnership programme around the UK.

Trelawney Dampney - MD - Eco Sustainable Solutions

Eco Food Recycling collecting from a leading pub chain

Eco Food Recycling the leading southern based food waste collection and recycling company will soon be sending their food waste collections to AD ( anaerobic digestion ).

Currently all food waste collected by Eco Food Recycling is taken to an IVC ( in vessel composting ) facility where after a prolonged 12/14 week process the food waste is turned into compost. The site is owned and operated by Eco Sustainable Solutions who are building a new AD plant near Dorchester that is due to open in the early part of 2012.

Eco Food Recycling collect commercial food waste from Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs, Shopping Centres, Leisure Parks, Company Canteens, Care Homes,Food Producers, Supermarkets, Schools and Universities along with individual outlets from businesses of all sizes on their collection rounds.

A national food waste collection service is now available from Eco Food Recycling in co-operation with their extensive partnership programme around the UK. Operating a zero waste to landfill ethos all food waste that is collected is 100% recycled using either IVC or AD technology.

Anaerobic Digestion processes take food waste and turn it into renewable energy. This is a fully sustainable solution for businesses that are looking to divert food waste away from landfill.

Eco Food Recycling operate a food waste collection and recycling service in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex along with a nationwide food collection service on demand.

Eco Food Recycling food waste bins on site at Harvest Fine Foods, Christchurch

Harvest Fine Foods enrolled the services of Eco Food Recycling in January to find a sustainable solution to the waste produced from there new pre-prepared fruit and veg service that they were launching to their client base.

In the first 5 months of 2011 in-excess of 50 tonnes of food waste has been collected by Eco Food Recycling and recycled giving the Christchurch based food production and distribution company a zero waste to landfill solution.

A total of 12 x 240 ltr food waste bins were placed on site by southern based food waste collection and recycling firm Eco Food Recycling, and collections were made three times per week. By the end of May a total of 471 food waste bins were collected with a total weight of 50,811 kgs at an average lift weight of 108 kgs per bin.

Eco Food Recycling use portable heavy duty scales to weigh each bin giving  100% accurate bin lift weight data for their clients. This weight data is used purely for monthly management reporting as requested by customers and not for charging purposes.

A national food waste collection service is offered  by Eco Food Recycling.

Castlepoint Shopping Park, Bournemouth

Eco Food Recycling the southern based food waste collection and recycling company have been invited to present at Food Waste 2011, Mayfair Conference Centre, London on 14th July a conference based around the collection, processing and energy recovery of food waste.

The presentation will  feature the case study of Castlepoint Shopping Park in Bournemouth and the implementation and success of the food waste recycling that has been conducted by Eco Food Recycling since the commencement of the service in August 2010. Simon Heaps, Director of Eco Food Recycling and Peter Matthews, General Manager of Castlepoint Shopping Park will explain the benefits that have resulted since the landfill diversion of food waste started at the Park.

The conference is organised by Recycling & Waste World and will feature Lord Henley, Under Secretary of State for DEFRA along with many leading figures from the waste industry specialising in food waste and energy recovery from that waste stream.

Eco Food Recycling collect commercial food waste from many sources of food production including Hotels, Restaurants, Schools and Universities, Pub chains, Leisure and Theme Parks, Shopping Centres and numerous food producers.

The area covered by Eco Food Recycling for food waste collection and recycling is Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex whereby all commercial food waste collected is 100% recycled.

A national food waste collection and recycling service is offered by Eco Food Recycling in partnership with their network of food waste collection companies around the UK.

Hotel du Vin, Poole

Malmaison Hotel in Reading

Eco Food Recycling the southern based independant food waste collection and recycling company have been selected to roll out further sites within the Hotel du Vin and Malmaison chain to collect food waste, have it recycled and increase their landfill diversion figures.

After a successful two month trial at Hotel du Vin, Winchester where 5.5 tonnes of food waste was produced in the 8 week trial period the green light was given to introduce the food waste collection and recycling service to sites in Poole and Reading. Both the Hotel du Vin in Poole and Malmaison in Reading will commence food waste collections from Eco Food Recycling in early June.

Bournemouth based waste management company,1st Waste Management Consultants, who handle the waste streams for the group have selected Eco Food Recycling for the new sites because of the professionalism shown during the trial along with data management reporting clearly showing bin lifts and landfill diversion figures.

Eco Food Recycling offer a food waste collection and recycling service to Hotels of all sizes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex whereby all food waste collected is 100 % recycled.

Eco Food Recycling can also offer a national coverage of food waste collections through their extensive partnership programme that they have built up with similar strategically placed food waste recycling businesses around the UK.

Peter Matthews, General Manager - Castlepoint Shopping Park, Bournemouth

Castlepoint Shopping Park in Bournemouth, one of the many clients that have accurate bin weight figures provided by Eco Food Recycling

Castlepoint Shopping Park in Bournemouth opened in 2003 and with 645,000 sq ft of retail space is the largest shopping park in the UK covering 41 acres. Peter Matthews, General Manager, arrived in 2005 and soon had recycling on his agenda.

Before 2006 the centre had no recycling policy and disposing of waste was a major expense and was growing annually, even something as basic as cardboard was being collected at a cost to Castlepoint. The success of the recycling project undertaken by Peter Matthews and his team has been quite staggering in the following years. From 100% waste to landfill in 2005 Castlepoint have reached the heady heights of 61% recycled last year and are looking to have over 70% of the Shopping Parks waste recycled by the end of this year.

Food waste was a stream that had always been sent to landfill however this all changed following an introduction to Simon Heaps from Eco Food Recycling at the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade’s Green Knowledge Network Forum. There followed several consultations as to how potential savings could be made if a zero waste to landfill policy was implemented for the food waste generated at the Park.

Initially the two principle restaurants , Nando’s and Frankie & Bennys, were selected for trial and supplied with three 240L wheelie bins each, bio-degradable bags and instructions on what could be disposed . The trial and weighing of the food waste began in August 2010, during the first four weeks 1.8 tonnes of food waste was collected by Eco Food Recycling . This convinced Peter and his team that diversion of the food waste stream would work and make a massive impact on their recycling figures. The second phase was rolled out in October  when the three coffee shops,  Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero and Thorntons, were introduced into the collection rota increasing the monthly tonnage to over 3 tonnes. For example nearly 100 kgs of coffee grounds are collected from each outlet weekly. That equates to over 15 tonnes annually.

The vision of Peter Matthews and his team then extended to the staff rooms at all of the retail stores within the Park. Eco Food Recycling were asked to provide kitchen caddies and bio-degradeable bags so that fruit, sandwiches and any waste food produced by staff could also be collected and recycled.

The introduction of this latest initiative within Castlepoint Shopping Park has resulted in over 6 tonnes of food waste being collected during April alone and in excess of  42 tonnes since Eco Food Recycling commenced collections in August 2010. With a “zero waste to landfill” policy being used these figures meant a total landfill diversion solution for the Park for its food waste.

The food waste recycling scheme was implemented by Eco Food Recycling by placing eleven 240 ltr food waste wheelie bins in strategic places around the confines of the Park convenient for the tenants to place their food waste bags into when full. The retailers were each supplied with bio-degradeable bags and 23 ltr kitchen caddies.

To make the initiative work  it was vital to have the co-operation of all tenants and their staff. This  was obtained after co-directors Simon Heaps and Andy Jones visited each unit on site before food waste collections commenced. Simon and Andy explained the reasons and benefits behind the scheme to each units staff and what was required from them to make it successful.  With any such scheme  it’s vital to communicate with every employee  of each unit and fully explain how and more importantly why a scheme is being introduced.

“ Simon and Andy were instrumental in setting up our trial, speaking to the restaurants concerned and providing the necessary training to make the exercise a resounding success. We are very pleased that their hard work is starting to reap benefits for them, as much as it is for ourselves, in making the Centre greener. We are extremely focussed on our Centre footprint and will continue to support this initiative whilst encouraging other Shopping Centres to adopt the principles of this very worthwhile scheme” said Bill Riddle Operation Manager – Castlepoint Shopping Park.

He added   “Staff soon became familiar with the process but were right behind the trial and wanted to play their part to make Castlepoint “greener”.

“Since the start of the trial in  August last year , when we sent 1.8 tonnes of food waste to be recycled, we have generated 42 tonnes of food waste. This directly equates to the same reduction in tonnages sent to landfill without the additional costs. “

“ We asked Eco Food Recycling to give us exact landfill diversion figures which they did by using their own unique method of weighing each bin. With lightweight industrial scales that can be calibrated to the nearest 10 grams they provide monthly management reports showing bin lifts and weights collected. It is good to see a young vibrant waste company being set a target and delivering.”

Simon Heaps and Andy Jones, the joint Directors of Eco Food Recycling, looked long and hard at the best way to provide accurate bin weights for their clients, including Castlepoint Shopping Park, at the outset and were fully aware of the technology that is available as regards bin chips and on board weighing systems. However the industry is fully aware of the pitfalls and expense of installing and implementing such systems for small companies so another alternative was sought.

By using portable and weatherproof industrial scales on their vehicles they are able to accurately report to their clients the weights that have been lifted and subsequently diverted from landfill. Clients are charged on a bin lift pricing module and not by weight.

By offering these landfill diversion figures which can also be used for a carbon footprint reduction analysis they are able to offer something that is unique within the food waste collection industry.

Local media coverage has highlighted Castlepoint  for their “green initiatives” along with enhancing the growing reputation of Eco Food Recycling as a leading independant food waste collection and recycling company in the South of England.

Simon Heaps said “ When we first spoke to Peter Matthews we found somebody who was fully focused on increasing the Parks recycling percentages but needed to find a sustainable solution without increased costs. We found the assistance of the tenants was certainly helped because of the strong recycling ethos at Castlepoint and the fact that they were already segregating and recycling other waste streams within the Park so the introduction of food waste collections and recycling was easy to implement.”

“Nowadays with so many local authorities collecting food waste and mixed recyclables residentially it came as no surprise to the tenants staff that they were being asked to adopt commercial recycling within the Park. Without their support and assistance this would have been a lot harder.” he added.

Eco Food Recycling who operate a food waste collection and recycling service covering Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex dispose of their food waste at a local IVC ( in vessel composting ) facility near Bournemouth Airport run by Trelawney Dampney and his  Eco Sustainable Solutions team  where the food waste is turned into compost.  During the early part of 2012 Trewlawney will be opening an AD plant nearby, and the Castlepoint food waste will be destined for renewable energy.

For any Shopping Centres or Parks that are thinking of introducing food waste collections the benefits are clear to see :

• Landfill diversion – helping the environment and making your operation “ greener “
• Increased recycling figures – Using media coverage to your advantage.
• Cost neutral benefits from day one which can result in decreased ongoing costs going forward as landfill tax increases year on year
• Interaction with tenants and their staff

Peter Matthews had the final word.  “ We asked Eco Food Recycling to increase our recycling figures ,which they did. We have had over 42 tonnes of food waste diverted from landfill  to date and our costs have not increased. I see this as an easy to implement  blueprint for other shopping centres around the UK to follow and would encourage others to follow suit.”

Sarsen Trail competitors heading for Stonehenge

Witshire Wildlife Trust chose Eco Food Recycling to handle their food waste when they held the Sarsen Trail event, a 26 mile route from Avebury to Stonehenge.

In excess of 2,500 people either ran, walked or biked along the route this weekend ( Sunday May 1st ) and the environment was high on the agenda for the WWT as they enrolled food waste collection and recycling specialists Eco Food Recycling to collect strategically placed food waste bins along the route.

Events of this nature are handled by the Ringwood based food waste collection experts on a regular basis and they are used to the demands that high spectator and participant events produce. Food waste in abundance needs to be recycled and Eco Food Recyling currently have this waste stream disposed of at a local IVC ( in vessel composting ) facility.

Food waste bins can be supplied and collected at times to fit in with any organisation and advice given as to what waste can be placed within the bins.

Eco Food Recycling currently offer a food waste collection and recycling service in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex, Somerset, Avon and Bristol whereby all food waste collected is 100 % recycled.