SUSTAINABLE CATERING
The CompPod’s compact dimensions enable it to occupy only a small footprint. Over 1 tonne of food waste from multiple
producers on site is composted here every week.
Imperial Machine Company Unit 1 Abbey Road Wrexham Industrial Estate Wrexham LL13 9RF
United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1978 661155 Fax: +44 (0)1978 729990 Email:
Info@imco.co.uk www.imco.co.uk
of its arrival; only final connections were then required on the day of installation.”
Food waste is first emptied from the waste collection bins on to the sorting table before being pushed into the hopper of the FWD. The captured
dewatered waste is then loaded into the IVC. A utensil washer ensures the bins are kept clean.
THE RESULTS
then loaded into the IVC in an operation that takes only a few minutes each day. In a world first, the College has commissioned a self-contained, modular building in which to house the waste sorting table, with its own macerator and dewaterer, and the IVC. The building, referred to as the “ComPod”, has been constructed and laid out in such a way as to aid compliance with the requirements of Animal By Products Regulations should the College choose to seek accreditation even though it is currently exempt. The ComPod therefore comprises all of the equipment recommended for best practice and housekeeping standards including
42| SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER 2010
even a radiator to keep the operator warm in the depths of Winter. Finishes to all the interior surfaces are easy to wash down and clean whilst the layout is designed to maximise operator efficiency by facilitating the smooth transition of the food from waste material to a high quality end product. Nick Roalfe, Director of Facilities Management, explains: “By going down the route of a self-contained, pre-fitted building we were able to avoid any structural changes and modifications to the College and significantly reduce the installation time. All services such as power, water and drainage, were brought to the location of the building in advance
With an all-inclusive investment of £140,000 in the ComPod and associated equipment to allow safe and eco-friendly disposal of food waste, Imperial College expects to make direct savings of around £104,000 in its first year of operation. As Nic Dent explains: “This solution deals with food waste before it is able to contaminate any other waste materials, some of which we are now able to recycle as well. We are now able to replace our skip compactors which were being used for the disposal of general waste, including food, with our preferred, much cheaper and environmentally acceptable rotational compacting solution.” These savings will only increase going forward meaning a worst case Return On Investment of around 16 months; furthermore, by dealing with the food waste at source, the College is no longer exposed to the vagaries and uncertainties that surround its disposal by other means. But, as Nic highlights, the benefits are much more than just financial: “The ComPod is a very visual and confident demonstration, especially to those staff and students who were initially sceptical of our total commitment to tackling waste disposal and its impact on our, and future generations’, environment. As a compact, off-the-shelf solution that is scaleable according to the volume of waste that requires treatment and can be immediately operational upon installation, I would envisage our pioneering approach to be followed by many other establishments faced with this challenge.”
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