IN ASSOCIATION WITH
AD 2010: POWERING THE WAY FORWARD
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Food waste collection is a highly esoteric service and requires a specialist fleet of vehicles.
Kate Cawley, business development manager at Cawleys reports on the challenges that are faced.
T
HE UK produces more than 20 taking food waste to AD. Our customers a fermenter for anaerobic digestion. Bacteria
million tonnes of food waste include some of the nation’s top restaurants, break the food waste down and the methane
each year. Of this, some 37% hotel groups, food manufacturers, gas produced is converted into electricity for
is generated by householders, supermarket chains, universities and the National Grid.
the remaining 63% is generated by food independent schools. This February, we The remaining by-product, a liquid
manufacturers, retailers, hotels and won the prestigious Association for Organics digestate, is an excellent organic fertilizer that
restaurants, etc. Recycling (AfOR) Award with Waitrose for the is used on the land, completing the natural
High-profile campaigns, such as WRAP’s retailer that has made the ‘best contribution to lifecycle.
Love Food Hate Waste campaign has ensured food waste recycling’. We have worked hard to ensure that
that householders are increasingly adopting Food waste disposal requires a specialist switching to AD is made as straightforward
the mantra `Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ when fleet of vehicles and at Cawleys we have and cost effective as possible.
it comes to food waste and an increasing commissioned a number of bespoke food By conducting waste audits, waste
number of local authorities are now making waste collection lorries that run on a part management companies can ensure waste
household food waste collections. biofuel mix that includes vegetable oil. recycling to AD is:
The focus is now rightly moving to the The vehicles contain two compartments, Time efficient - recycling food waste takes
commercial sector. one for naked (unpackaged) waste and one no more time than throwing it away.
It is only a matter of time before for packaged waste. Easy to adopt – staff are given training to
legislators enforce food waste collection to Collections are made to suit the segregate the food waste properly.
divert all food waste from landfill. customers’ needs and can be daily or once Cost efficient - food is the heaviest element
A range of recycling options is available, or twice weekly, depending on the volume of of food waste and with landfill tax set to
including in-vessel composting, waste to waste produced. rise every year by £8 per tonne, the more
energy, vermiculture, on-site composting and Waste that can go into the process weight diverted from landfill the better for
anaerobic digestion (AD). includes leftover food including cooked and business and the environment.
Of these AD has been hailed by uncooked meat and fish, tea bags, coffee AD has been around for some time, but
environment minister Hilary Benn as the grounds and food that is still in its packaging. until now there hasn’t been a UK-wide food
future of food waste recycling and an Once collected, food waste is transported waste collection and recycling solution, which
increasing number of UK businesses are now to a number of AD plants and specialist food could potentially have a significant impact on
pre-segregating their food waste as part of recycling facilities across the country. reducing food waste.
site waste management systems. At the plants, depackaging equipment Using the AD route will not only help
As a pioneering waste management separates any plastic, tin, card and paper businesses to meet carbon emission targets
business Cawleys has been quick to from the food waste before it is processed and contribute to initiatives like 10:10 (the
recognise demand for a commercial food and this salvaged material is then recycled. campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10%
waste collection and in January 2010 we The remaining food waste is blended to form in 2010) but will also keep increasingly eco-
introduced Britain’s first nationwide service a substrate that is pasturised and passed into conscious consumers happy.
RWW

Recycling
& WASTE WORLD www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk March 11 2010 5
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