Posts Tagged ‘zero waste to landfill’

Commercial food waste collections neglected in US as well as UK

California is suffering the same problems with commercial and business food waste that we are experiencing in the UK as the “zero waste to landfill” momentum continues around the globe.

Walnut Creek, a community in Contra Costa County in San Fransisco, California, has started to divert waste from landfill by arranging residential food waste collections that will be turned into compost and re-sold to farmers and agricultural establishments.

In a scenario that is very similar to many parts of the UK the business community in Walnut Creek is not included in the new scheme where food waste that is created by hotels,restaurants and sporting and leisure facilities etc still goes to landfill rather than being recycled.

According to local figures from Contra Costra County 20% of waste that goes to landfill in the area is food waste but what is not known, because there is no legislative pressure, is the percentage of residential food waste to commercial food waste. If commercial food waste was included in the new scheme in Walnut Creek a 20% reduction of waste to landfill would be a great achievement and one that would encourage local authorities in the UK in reaching their divert from landfill targets.

Eco Food Recycling Ltd,based in Ringwood,Dorset,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 is 100% recycled at a local in-vessel composting facility and turned into compost similar to Walnut Creek residential food waste.

Cameron and Clegg spell out recycling objectives in “zero waste economy”

The new Coalition Government has made it’s mark by highlighting the “war on waste” in a document published on 20th May.Caroline Spelman the new Secretary of State for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) within the Coalition will be responsible for section 11 of the document headed – Environment,Food and Rural Affairs.

The key points as regards waste are – We will work towards a “zero waste” economy,encourage councils to pay people to recycle,and work to reduce littering.

At present most food waste from the residential sector is collected by local councils but the area of commercial and business food waste has been neglected and ignored.With the publishment of this document it now seems that DEFRA will put pressure on local councils to arrange for independant waste carriers to collect food waste and have it recycled for a sustainable economy.

Eco Food Recycling was formed in 2010 to target the area that has been highlighted by DEFRA and offers a commercial and business food waste collection round in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s whereby all food waste collected will be 100% recycled by being taken to a local in-vessel composting facility.

The food waste collection service is aimed at schools,colleges,hotels,restaurants,pubs,hospitals,care homes,food producers and company canteens within the locality of it’s Ringwood base.Although this will not totally solve the UK problem of commercial food waste it will ease the burden on the local councils in the area who have already shown their enthusiasm and support for the service that is being offered by Eco Food Recycling.

Scottish Hospitals discard over £2million of food waste

The amount of commercial food waste that is discarded by hospitals has been quantified by a report in Scotland.

Seven health boards have produced staggering figures showing the amount of food waste that is either untouched or partially uneaten exceeded £2.1 million.

Mark Wallace, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, branded the amounts “disturbing” and “a serious financial drain”.

Advisory group Health Facilities Scotland demand hospitals keep food waste below 10 per cent.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “We expect NHS Boards to take necessary steps to reduce food waste wherever possible.”

Food waste in hospitals is one of the area’s that is being targeted by Eco Food Recycling, a new company set up to handle commercial food waste in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s.With the vast majority of food waste being sent to landfill sites the company is offering a commercial food waste collection service from hospitals that will 100% recycle the food waste stream.

Although reducing food waste will be the responsibility of the hospitals they now have the option to recycle the food waste that is produced by using the recycling service that is provided by Eco Food Recycling and their new collection round.

All food waste collected will be taken to an in-vessel composting facility at Hurn Airport where it will be turned into compost after a prolonged process.In future the food waste will be taken to a new bio-gas plant that is currently under construction in West Dorset and is due to open in Spring 2011.

Top London Hotel recycles Food Waste to reduce carbon footprint

The Savoy Hotel in London,one of the most famous in the capital, is to start recycling it’s food waste when a planned £100 million refurbishment is completed later this year.

The food waste produced will be sent to a biomass power plant that will turn it into renewable energy,enough to supply electricity to 10% of the Hotel’s rooms.

Debra Patterson, the hotel’s environmental ambassador, told the press that the scheme will allow it “not only to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, but to make a significant improvement to the Savoy’s overall carbon footprint by displacing fossil fuels – a completely sustainable solution“.

This decision proves that by recycling business food waste, particuarly from the Hotel industry, can be financially driven as well as being environmentally friendly by reducing the carbon footprint.

Most hotels and guest houses in the Bournemouth,Poole and Christchurch area are currently sending their residual food waste to landfill sites rather than having it recycled.

Eco Food Recycling, a commercial food waste collector,which specialise in the hotel and tourism industry operate a business food waste collection round in Hampshire and Dorset whereby all food waste collected will be taken to an in-vessel composting facility for 100% recycling.Within the next 12 months the food waste will be taken to a new Anaerobic Digester (AD) plant,currently under construction,where it will be turned into renewable energy similar the the Savoy Hotel system.

Schools look to recycle food waste to reduce carbon footprint

Schools in the Bournemouth area have been contacting Eco Food Recycling in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, by recycling their food waste, after the media launch from the company this week.

Schools have been a main target in the advertising campaign of Ringwood based Eco Food Recycling as the company promotes its “zero waste to landfill” sustainable solution.The signs have been very encouraging already especially the interest from local schools in the Bourenemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s.

Currently the majority of food waste that is generated by local schools either as a direct result of food preparation in the school canteen or food waste created by the pupils goes to landfill which results in methane gas being created and the subsequent greenhouse gasses and “global warming effect”.

Eco Food Recycling have become the first local company to create a food waste collection service for schools whereby all food waste collected will be taken to Eco Sustainable Solutions and their in-vessel composting facility.As a result of the prolonged processes that are involved the food waste is turned into compost and either supplied to the local farming industry or used on the 400 acres of turf fields owned by the company.

Eco Food Recycling selected the Hurn Airport recycling specialist not just for it’s excellent service and reputation but also because of it’s ability to liase with local schools and involve the students with supervised “field trips” to the site by arrangement.

Food Waste recycling reduces landfill dramatically in Leeds pilot scheme

A food waste recycling scheme has been piloted by Leeds City Council with dramatic results.

A 40% reduction of food waste to landfill was expierienced by Rothwell residents but they actually peaked at a high of 61% recycled waste, recently.

Instead of food waste being consigned to rot in the ground, the Rothwell food rubbish is collected weekly in small kitchen caddies, transferred to containers outside and then taken away for processing into compost. The scheme also involves fortnightly collections of both green bins and black general waste bins.

Although this was residential waste and not commercial food waste it has proven that with a concerted effort it can be achieved.

“This is fantastic news and we are really encouraged by how enthusiastically the people of Rothwell have taken to this trial. It’s incredible to see what a difference to the overall recycling rates saving your potato peelings and leftovers can make.

“We are absolutely committed to our aim of recycling half of our rubbish across Leeds by 2020 and this demonstrates what is achievable, even in just a short time. It will be very interesting to see the overall outcome of this pilot after six months.” said Councillor James Monaghan,executive member with responsibility for recycling and refuse with the Council.

Eco Food Recycling provide 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 and not sent to landfill whatsoever.

Wales lead the way in Food Waste Recycling

Cardiff are leading the way in food waste recycling by increasing the amount that it collects at kerbside from domestic households.

The move comes as part of a bid to reach the Welsh Assembly Government’s new 70% food waste recycling target by 2025.2,000 homes will be trialled when new 25 litre kerbside caddies are used rather than the traditional kitchen caddies.The new bins will be barcoded to prevent loss along with identification of those households who flout the recycling scheme.

Although Cardiff have shown a great initiative in food waste recycling it is still only households that are being targeted and not commercial businesses that create vast amounts of food waste from schools,colleges/universities,hotels,restaurants,sporting venues,public houses and large company canteens.This area of food waste recycling has been neglected by most councils around the country although in the South West of England a local Ringwood based company has pioneered a commercial collection round whereby all food waste will be taken to a local in-vessel composting facility creating a “zero waste to landfill” solution.

In the Cardiff scenario the food waste is transported to a recycling facility,not within Cardiff or even Wales but the considerable distance to a plant in Derbyshire.This alone leaves a “carbon footprint” legacy.

The business food waste collection service by Eco Food Recycling in Ringwood will service the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s of the south coast and the 100% recycling of the food waste will be deposited locally at Eco Sustainable Solutions and within the next 12 months a new purpose Anaerobic Digester plant will be opened in West Dorset where the commercial food waste will be turned into renewable energy.

Both Eco Food Recycling and Eco Sustainable Solutions are doing their bit,by 100% recycling the food waste, to provide a sustainable solution in Dorset and Hampshire.

Croydon is latest local Council to offer business food waste collection service

Croydon is the latest Council to offer a commercial food waste collection service so that local businesses can radically cut their carbon emissions.

The new service means that local businesses like Colleges,Hotels,Restaurants,Schools and Public Houses can separate out their food waste from their general rubbish so it can be turned into compost at a local in-vessel composting facility rather than be taken to landfill.

Every kilogramme of food waste that is recycled will save 450g of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

The separation of food waste from the remainder of the waste stream is made easy and hygienic for customers with kitchen caddies lined with bio-degradable sacks known as biobags. Once a caddie is full, the biobag is fastened and put into a larger container, which is collected at least once a week.

Eco Food Recycling now offer the same service to local businesses in the Bournemouth,Poole,Christchurch,Ringwood,Wimborne and surrounding area’s whereby all of the food waste that is collected is 100% recycled by being taken to a local composting facility.

Eco Food Recycling will go one step better than the Croydon Council scheme when within the next 12 months the commercial food waste will be taken to a purpose built Anaerobic Digester ( AD ) plant in West Dorset where it will be recycled into renewable energy.

Friends of the Earth – Food Waste Collections

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/food_waste.pdf

Zero waste to landfill promoted in London

Food waste management in the commercial sector is highlighted in London with the following food waste recycling examples:

London Mayor Boris Johnson supported a major initiative to convert the City of London’s food waste into eco-fuel and reduce the amount that is dumped in landfill sites and reduce carbon emissions.
He wants commercial businesses in London to send their food waste to bio-fuel plants,commonly known as Anaerobic Digestion,by providing five new plants in the city by 2012. With the Olympic games coming to the capital shortly the need for food waste recycling is paramount.

Heathrow airport, which produces in excess of 8,000 tonnes of commercial food waste each year,is fully committed to reducing it’s carbon footprint and the effect that it has on our environment. By 2020 it is aiming to achieve “zero waste to landfill” according to Emma Alexander, Head of Waste & Water at BAA and is looking at AD plants to recycle their commercial food waste.

Sainsbury’s are another major player in the zero waste to landfill campaign and will have over 500 of their stores committed to 100% food recycling bu using AD plants that convert food waste into energy rather than sending to landfill sites.

Bryan Jones, Managing Director of Keystone Distribution and McDonalds dedicated food distributor, said that they had pioneered the conversion of McDonald’s delivery fleet to bio-diesel made by recycling its used cooking oil. In London alone this has cut McDonald’s distribution emissions by over 50 per cent and stopped around 750,000 litres of used cooking oil going to landfill.
These actions by key players in the retail sector shows the concerns they have about the zero waste to landfill campaign and the need to 100% recycle food waste.

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

Sainsbury’s sign deal to recycle food waste

Sainsbury’s has signed a deal for 40 of its Midlands based Supermarkets to recycle their commercial food waste as part of its Zero Food Waste to Landfill Network.

The food waste will be 100% recycled by going to a local anaerobic digestion plant as opposed to landfill.

Neil Sachdev, Sainsbury’s commercial director said: “We are the industry leader in the use of anaerobic digestion and with this additional capacity provided by our waste partner, we put ourselves even further ahead. “Respect for the environment is one of our key values, and as such, we will completely stop sending food waste to landfill within the next few weeks.

“We are desperate for greater anaerobic digestion capacity and would therefore like to see greater, clearer incentives for investment in this green technology.”

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