Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, says food waste recycling should be a priority for facilities managers in the UK.
Every year in the UK, more than 10 million tonnes of food is wasted despite research suggesting an estimated 40 per cent is perfectly edible. Despite productivity gains from across the food supply chain almost halving the amount going to waste over the past decade, current totals still amount to the equivalent of 4,761 times the weight of the London Eye.
With disposal via general waste bound by soaring tax charges (set to hit £104 per tonne by April), landfilling food waste is a costly business.
However, while the financial impacts are bad enough, the environmental consequences are equally as concerning.
After all, rotting food waste releases greenhouse gas emissions considered 21 times more damaging to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide.
If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third highest polluter after China and the USA.
Alarmingly, food waste is now widely considered one of the world’s biggest humanitarian concerns according to the UN Environment Programme.
But with waste an operational hazard for almost every business operating across the food supply chain (from producers and manufacturers to handlers, hospitality venues and retailers), finding a solution is key to tackling both the financial and environmental implications of wasting food.
Fortunately, the rise of food waste recycling is providing a light at the end of the tunnel.
Embracing sustainable alternatives
While far from a ‘silver bullet’ solution, food waste recycling is a simple and environmental alternative to more traditional waste management services. Delivered on an industrial scale, it harnesses the anaerobic digestion (AD) process to capture biogas released during natural degradation.
This gas can either be combusted to generate renewable electricity or upgraded and injected directly into the gas grid.
The perfect new year’s business resolution
Despite the clear benefits associated with diverting waste away from landfill, in the UK, the national uptake of food waste recycling services is still far lower than might be expected.
Historically, some businesses have been put off by the perception of complex processes and smelly bins.
These concerns are, however, far from the truth.
Indeed, food waste recycling can be quickly and easily integrated into existing waste management practices.
Most services now collect all types of food, including preparation waste, scraps and even packaged products, making disposal a straightforward process.
At ReFood, we offer a ‘bin swap’ service which sees full bins collected and switched for empty, sanitised replacements.
This means that bins can be used directly in kitchen areas, which helps staff to separate at source.
In addition to using electricity and gas generated at our facilities to reduce reliance on fossil fuels further, we produce the sustainable biofertiliser, ReGrow; an organic fertiliser used as an alternative to chemical fertilisers by local farmers which closes the food supply loop - a simple and circular solution.
Most importantly, with no costly landfill tax to pay, businesses can expect to reduce current costs arising from food waste management by around half.
What’s more, the whole process is quick and simple to integrate.
So, when it comes to making your business’ new year’s resolutions, switching to food waste recycling should be one of them.
... [R]otting food waste releases greenhouse gas emissions considered 21 times more damaging to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide.
After all, offering the opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint, simplify your waste management processes, improve your ESG credentials and cut costs to boot, it makes complete environmental and financial sense.
