Posts Tagged ‘Food Waste Management’

Commercial food waste recycling bins to be heated ?

Food waste bins at 7am in the morning covered in snow

: 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.

Food waste collections and The Waste Hierachy

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.

Stages	Include
Prevention:	Using less material in design and manufacture. Keeping products for longer; re-use. Using less hazardous materials
Preparing for re-use:	Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, whole items or spare parts
Recycling:	Turning waste into a new substance or product. Includes composting if it meets quality protocols
Other recovery:	Includes anaerobic digestion, incineration with energy recovery, gasification and pyrolysis which produce energy (fuels, heat and power) and materials from waste; some backfilling
Disposal:	Landfill and incineration without energy recovery

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.

WRAP’s £10m Fund for Food Waste Processing Still Available

Despite the upcoming rise in landfill tax and the financial benefits that energy-from-food-waste bioprocessing plants can generate, no council have applied for a share of the £10m fund made available by WRAP. Only one company was granted a loan so far and there are six others in the pipeline, all from businesses.

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.

Britain’s Food Waste Collection and Recycling has Tripled

Last week (21st November) WRAP finally published the results of its survey “A study of the UK organics recycling industry 2009″ which revealed that food waste collection for recycling and composting tripled in less than one year.

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/

Eco Food Recycling secure food waste agreement with Waitrose

Waitrose - Ringwood Branch Manager with Andy Jones and Simon Heaps from Eco Food Recycling

Food waste bins on site at Waitrose, Wimborne

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

Harvest Fine Foods divert 50 tonnes of food waste from landfill

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.

Eco Food Recycling invited to present at Food Waste 2011

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.

Food waste collections on the increase in the south of england with Eco Food Recycling

Eco Food Recycling the leading independant food waste collection and recycling company in the south have added to their fleet in response to increased business from their ever growing list of clients.

The Ringwood based food waste collection and recycling company have put another vehicle on the road as their collection service has expanded to include Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey,Sussex, Somerset, Avon and Bristol.

The increase in landfill tax at the start of April has had a dramatic impact on the business of Eco Food Recycling as businesses are now looking very closely at costs as their general waste bins have gone up from their current waste carriers.

The option of 100 % recycling food waste as opposed to landfill is starting to appeal to many food producing companies as they strive for a zero waste to landfill solution for their food waste.

Eco Food Recycling 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.

Snow fails to stop food waste collection company

Collecting food waste from one of our clients

Eco Food Recycling braving the wintry weather as they collect their clients food waste bins

Food waste bins at 7am in the morning covered in snow

With the majority of the country covered in snow and ice and drivers warned to stay at home unless it is of extreme importance it is the “good old bin man” that is often forgotten as they have to attempt to go out in all conditions.

Eco Food Recycling the leading independant food waste collection service in the south that collects commercial food waste from businesses in six counties including Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex were tested to the full today when the snow covered south and sub zero temperatures made collecting the food waste bins of their clients a very cold affair.

The Ringwood based food waste collection and recycling company were today faced with the option not to collect on time from their list of high profile clients or brave the conditions and pull out all the stops to ensure that all of the food waste bins were emptied on time.

Most waste carriers, especially the council refuse trucks that collect from residential properties, decided to stay in bed and not risk the snowy conditions that were on our streets this morning.

The decision was made that the clients must come first ahead of the warmth of staying at home.

Eco Food Recycling had been monitoring the changing weather conditions in the area’s where they were due to collect for the last 24 hours and decided that it was safe to travel on the main roads to collect from businesses on their food waste collection round.At no time was the safety of their staff compromised which was a tribute to the gritter lorries on the roads for the last few days.

With food waste to be collected from a number of sites from a national brewery chain,a leading shopping park,a hospital,leisure park,schools and restaurants it was important that these food waste wheelie bins were emptied on time to prevent overfilling, which in itself could cause a rodent problem, and inconvenience to the clients and their paying guests.

Eco Food Recycling to promote food waste collection workshop

“Food for Thought” is the name of the NISP ( National Industrial Symbiosis Programme) workshop that will be held at Dudsbury Golf Club on Tuesday 25th January 2011.The free resource efficiency event was the brainchild of Eco Food Recycling and brings together businesses in the south west of the country and in particular Dorset and Somerset.

The workshop will help you to:

Save money on raw materials
Turn your commercial food waste into a resource
Generate new business opportunities
Reduce your carbon impact and divert food waste away from landfill
Improve your environmental performance by having your food waste recycled
Save money on waste disposal

The free seminar is open to all businesses in Dorset and Somerset that produce food waste and further details can be obtained by e-mailing: sales@ecofoodrecycling.co.uk

The event has been promoted by NISP and sponsored by Eco Sustainable Solutions in partnership with Eco Food Recycling, the leading independant food waste collection and recycling carrier in the south, Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and The Best of Bournemouth networking website.

Food waste bin weights now so important

With food waste commonly acknowledged as the heaviest waste stream produced it is no surprise that many companies are asking for accurate food waste weights so that they know exactly how much food waste is being diverted from landfill.

Unless a waste carrier provides these accurate figures, not guesstimates, it is very difficult for the food waste producer to actually know what waste they have produced and how much can be taken out of the “general waste” bin and diverted from landfill.

Eco Food Recycling the food waste specialist carrier on the south coast that covers six counties including Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex now has sophisticated on board weighing that gives this information to their clients.Not only does it tell how much food waste is being diverted from landfill it also gives the figures so that the producer of the food waste can try to reduce the waste that is created.

Although many companies are trying to increase their recycling figures and the addition of food waste to their cardboard, glass and plastics etc does help it is actually a very fine line to get this right.

If recycling food waste figures go up then that is good but if food waste recycling figures go up too far that is bad.By using the “R” principles of re-think,re-use,reduce or recycle then it is possible to increase recycling figures but potentially save money.Think about it !!! This would be regarded as excellent food waste management.

Eco Food Recycling offer a food waste collection service in the south of England that is used by Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs, Hospitals, Shopping Centres,Care Homes, Food Producers and Leisure Parks to name a few, whereby food waste is collected, weighed and reports created, and disposed of and recycled at a local IVC ( in vessel composting ) facility.

Food waste legislation ?

With legislation looming that food waste cannot be “dumped” into landfill the question must be asked as to where the food waste will go once it is collected.

The coalition government are pushing AD (Anaerobic Digestion) plants as they strive for a waste to energy society but unless investment is made and planning approvals rapidly pushed through by local councils then the disposal of the food waste will be a major problem as there are currently not enough disposal sites either AD or IVC ( in vessel composting ) available.

With waste carriers looking to reduce their carbon footprint it is amazing that food waste is carried the length and breadth of the country sometimes in their quest not only to find a disposal site that will take commercial food waste and residential food waste but also one that makes it profitable for the carrier by having a competitive gate fee.

At present because the disposal sites for food waste are so rare the gates fees ( or disposal costs ) do not get too competitive because the transportation costs to a cheaper food waste disposal site would negate the cheaper disposal costs, so the site has the upper hand.

For example Eco Food Recycling the leading independant food waste carrier in the South of England who make food waste collections in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex use a well renowned disposal site very close to Bournemouth Airport.

The closest food waste disposal sites to this would be Exeter to the west, Oxford to the north and London to the south and east.This goes to prove that food waste legislation which will come into force in the coming years as the government look to achieve their EU recycling directive targets will need many more food waste disposal sites.

In Ireland legislation has been in force since July that any food producer that has in excess of 50 kg of food waste per week cannot send it to landfill.If this was introduced into this country it would mean that every Hotel and Guest House, Restaurant,Cafe and Pub along with Universities/Colleges,Schools, Large Canteens, Supermarkets,Fast Food outlets,Hospitals, Care Homes and many more food producers around the country would not be allowed to dispose of their food waste into their general waste and ultimately into landfill.

Eco Food Recycling offer a bin cleaning service to their clients

Eco Food Recycling have added to there list of services alongside their food waste collection rounds by teaming up with the most innovative bin cleaning company in the UK and offering a bin clean service to their customers.

Because of the potential environmental problems with cleaning bins on site it is often overlooked by many establishments who turn a “blind eye” to the state of their bins.This can cause health,hygiene and environmental issues.

A full bin cleaning service is now offered to clients in Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex whereby all wheelie bins upto 1100 Euro bin size are cleaned within the confines of a dedicated 18 tonne bin cleaning vehicle.

2500 litres of recycled water is kept on board and heated to 50 degrees and used in conjunction with an environmentally friendly cleaning agent, the bins are then cleaned in an enclosed area of the vehicle.The contaminated water is discharged at the end of the day at a designated water board site.

There is strict legislation that states that no effluent waste water should end up within any storm drain which could ultimately pollute the water course system.The company is fully regulated by the Environment Agency.

The Water Pollution Act 1991 states that most road gullies and drains are designed to carry surface water directly to the nearest river or stream, so any contaminated water discharge into them will cause pollution,which is an offence, with a maximum fine of £20,000 in a magistrates court.

Eco Food Recycling are proud to offer this service to their clients in the knowledge that not only will food waste bins be kept clean but they will be cleaned in a fully regulated environment by the UK’s leading bin cleaning company.

For full details of the bin cleaning service that is offered by Eco Food Recycling contact sales@ecofoodrecycling.co.uk for a full quotation.

Castlepoint Shopping Park launches food waste initiative with Eco Food Recycling

An initiative between Bournemouth’s Castlepoint Shopping Park and ECO Food Recycling Ltd started in August to recycle food waste has hit the 7 ton target within 3 months. The trial was initially conducted with the support of the Frankie and Bennys and Nandos restaurants followed by Thorntons, Café Nero and Costa Coffee.

Bill Riddle, Operations Manager at Castlepoint, was invited to follow the recycling process with ECO Food Recycling Directors Simon Heaps and Andy Jones. Once collected, the food waste is taken just 5 miles drive to the ECO Sustainable Solutions site. Here Steve Harman the Operations Manager explained how the Invessel composting facility processes cooked and uncooked meat and foodstuffs. The wasted is first shredded then allowed to heat up to sterilise and sampled and analysed after 10 – 12 days. It is then moved outside for up to 14 weeks before the nutrient rich compost is screened for unwanted residues before being used on the 400 acre turf fields to replenish the soil harvested during the turf process.

“We are delighted to have been able to find a local solution that now reduces the amount of food waste going to landfill and we now expect more retailers to join the challenge to reduce the carbon footprint of the park,” said Bill Riddle. “This will assist our target of 75% waste recycling for Castlepoint in 2011.”

Four years ago there was no recycling policy. Last year the retail park recycled 60% of all waste products with the help of a £25,000 Materials Recovery Facility machine installed in 2009 that is worked by four operatives who hand pick and segregate metal, paper, cardboard and plastic items.

Eco Food Recycling offer a commercial food waste collection service for local companies in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s whereby all food waste collected is 100% recycled at the Eco Sustainable Solutions in-vessel composting facility.

Eco Food Recycling to present to Bournemouth Chamber of Trade the benefits of commercial food waste recycling

Eco Food Recycling the Ringwood based commercial food waste collection and recycling company have been invited to present to an invited audience of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade at The Green House Hotel in Bournemouth. (Wednesday 30th June)

The Hotel is one of the most Eco friendly hotels in the country and it’s principles to reduce,re-use and recycle make it environmentally friendly with a dramatic reduction in its carbon footprint compared to other local hotels and is the ideal venue for the Chamber to promote and discuss it’s “green” issues.

Food waste recycling targets to be met in Yorkshire but jobs to be lost

East Riding Council has announced that its targets to reduce waste going to landfill are on track but it is likely that 20 jobs at a local recycling centre will be lost.

The Council has revealed plans for 150,000 householders to put their food waste into kitchen caddies which will result in the loss of jobs at the recycling centre near Bridlington where food waste is segregated currently.

In excess of 9,300 tonnes of waste will now be diverted from landfill and will save the Council £217,000 that would have previously been paid in permits and fines for waste being taken to landfill.

Coun Symon Fraser, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “Up to a third of the waste in an average green household bin is food which goes to landfill.”

He added: “From every angle, including environmental and economic, it makes sense to compost it.”

Trish Dalby, head of streetscene services, said: “So far in the current financial year we are recycling 52 per cent of household waste.

“Since we rolled out the new recycling scheme in September our figures have increased every month, so we are confident that we will meet our 45 per cent target, which is ten per cent above the target set nationally.”

Yet again another Council announces plans for residential food waste to be diverted from landfill without any consideration or mention of commercial and business food waste.With national figures of 8.3 million tonnes of food waste being created by households there are no current figures for the excessive amounts of commercial and business food waste that is created.

Most commercial food waste is put into general waste bins that go to landfill as opposed to being recycled and if the UK is to meet is EU waste targets it cannot continue for much longer.Local Councils do not operate commercial food waste collection rounds and it is left to companies such as Eco Food Recycling in Dorset to organise collection rounds for food waste from local businesses.

Eco Food Recycling selected by Environment Agency on WTN pilot scheme for food waste recycling

Commercial food waste collections that will are handled by Eco Food Recycling in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s will be conducted with electronic waste transfer notes from now on as the Ringwood based company has been selected by the Environment Agency on their pilot scheme.

The waste industry has been moaning for many years that the manual triplicate waste transfer notes that register where the food waste has been produced,who has carried it and where it has been disposed of is archaic and needed changing because of the massive paper trail that is caused by the many waste streams in today’s society.

The Environment Agency has commissioned an Oxfordshire data collection company to solve the problem which will hopefully benefit the whole waste management industry in the future.

As the leading specialised food waste collection service in the wessex region it was a natural choice for the agency to select Eco Food Recycling because of it’s professionalism and enthusiasm in this sector of the waste market.Commercial food waste has been neglected for far too long and Eco Food Recycling is the only waste carrier between Plymouth and Dover that has been selected because of it’s food waste collection service and it’s fleet of vehicles.

Eco Food Recycling Director Simon Heaps said ” We are extremely pleased to have been selected by the Agency because of our integrity and the thoroughness that we conduct our food waste collections for our customers.We see that the whole industry will change to this form of electronic waste transfer notes in the future and we are absolutely delighted that we have been identified as a leader in the field of food waste collection along the south coast of England.”

He added ” Our training has been completed by the Oris Group who were very professional in explaining how the hand held devices and web portal worked.Our only concern is the man hours it will take our staff to input our customer database onto the system but I am fully convinced that the system will not only save time and money but also give our clients and the Environment Agency full details on the management of the food waste that is produced.”

The company collects its commercial and business food waste from it’s client base before it is disposed of at a local in-vessel composting facility where it is 100% recycled by means of an elaborate process before being turned into compost and either re-sold to local farmers or spread onto the 400 acres of turf fields nearby.Within the next 12 months the food waste collected will be taken to an Anaerobic Digestion plant,that is currently under construction,where renewable energy will be produced.

The recycling of food waste from commercial and business outlets in the Bournemouth area will mean that the “zero waste to landfill” targets that the new coalition government have set will have been helped and the moral and environmental issues that are created with waste being taken to landfill sites will have been avoided.

War on food waste by government chief as she encourages recycling

The new coalition government Environment Minister Caroline Spelman,MP for Meriden, is planning to wage war on waste by rewarding recyclers and tackling excess packaging.

In a statement where she praised Coventry City Council for hitting waste to landfill targets she also criticised the city for the amount of waste that was still produced by residential waste.

She said: “Each home in Coventry still produces over a tonne of rubbish every year – that’s the equivalent weight of a small family car.

“The good news is that Coventry sends the least amount of waste to landfill of any local authority and has a target of increasing recycling rates to 50 per cent by 2020.

“We’re now going to help you up your game. We will be encouraging rewards for recycling, and doing all we can to reduce littering.

“We also want to see more food waste being used to make energy.”

She encouraged the increased use of Anaerobic Digestion plants around the country in the “zero waste to landfill” objectives that the new government has.As well as residential food waste that is currently only collected by 15% of local councils by means of kitchen caddies she also encouraged commercial food waste to be recycled rather than going to landfill.

In the early stages of this new government it is quite clear that recycling will become a major topic in the years to come.Currently the vast amount of commercial and business food waste is sent to landfill and pollutes the environment because of the methane gas that is produced.

Because of the lack of commercial food waste collection rounds there is no real alternative to tipping at landfill sites until now.Eco Food Recycling an entrepreneurial Ringwood based company has indentified the problem and offered a solution by creating the very first independant commercial food waste collection service in the Bournemouth and Poole area of Dorset.

All business food waste will be collected and taken to a local in-vessel composting facility where it will be 100% recycled.Within a year the food waste will be transported to a new Anaerobic Digester that is currently under construction where the food waste will be turned into renewable energy,something that will please Mrs Spelman and her government colleagues.

Government “Spels” out food waste recycling message

The Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman spoke out today about the war on waste and in particular the need for food waste to be recycled and the expansion of Anaerobic Digester plants.

Speaking at Futuresource 2010,a waste management exhibition in London, she talked about biodegradable waste such as food leftovers could be turned into energy and also said the government wanted to greatly increase the country’s capacity for anaerobic digestion – a chemical process that produces renewable energy.

And while she said a zero-waste society would not mean everyone would become a “green saint” overnight, she said she wanted to see consumers having greater awareness of waste.

She also talked about new ways of dealing with commercial waste and promoting “responsibility deals” with businesses to drive down the amount of waste created in production and retail.

One of the problems currently in the UK is that of commercial food waste that is created in great quantities by organisations such as Hospitals and Care homes.Currently this waste stream is taken to landfill and the DEFRA head pointed out that reducing landfill, which is taxed at a rate set to hit £72 a tonne by 2013, would deliver financial savings and allow money to be made out of the resources that would otherwise end up in the ground.

Many other businesses create large quantities of food waste and these include schools,colleges,hotels,restaurants and pubs who add to the landfill problem which creates methane gas and ultimately increases greenhouse gasses.By creating a “zero waste to landfill” society where food waste both residential and commercial is recycled will be a sustainable solution for our future and that of our children.

Eco Food Recycling have pioneered a commercial and business food waste collection service in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s whereby all food waste collected will be 100% recycled.

Currently the Ringwood based company is taking the food waste collected from commercial premises to an in-vessel composting plant but within the next year a new Anaerobic Digester (AD) site will be opened in West Dorset where the food waste will be turned into renewable energy, something that will please Caroline Spelman,David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

DEFRA Head to address Commercial Food Waste Management issues ?

As Futuresource 2010 awaits the arrival of the UK waste industry tomorrow (June 15th) it has been announced that the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP will be presenting a keynote address on the opening day.

The new Secretary of State for DEFRA (Department of Environment,Food and Rural Affairs ) will be addressing the waste industry “movers and shakers” for the first time since taking up her role as part of David Cameron’s coalition government.

It seems certain that questions will be asked about Commercial Food Waste Management as this is being neglected by Councils across the land and it will be interesting how she will address this problem.It has already been stated that Councils will be encouraged to pay to have their waste recycled if they are not already doing so.

With Landfill taxes rising at a rapid rate it is hoped that environmentally conscious companies and businesses will look to have their business food waste collected and recycled rather than add to their carbon footprint by sending the food waste to landfill.

The coalition government will continue,it is expected,to raise landfill taxes as set out by Gordon Brown’s Labour Party.Landfill taxes rose by 20% in April from £40 per tonne to £48 per tonne and the target is to have increases of £8 per tonne per year until it reaches the target of £80 per tonne in 2014/15 thus forcing businesses to recycle their waste including food.

Eco Food Recycling have pioneered a commercial food waste collection service in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s whereby all food waste collected will be 100 % recycled.

Targeted at the commercial sector including schools,colleges/universities,care homes,nursing homes,hotels,restaurants,pubs,company canteens,food producers and sporting and leisure facilities the new company has already received great interest from local organisations looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Caroline Spelman