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RECYCLING & WASTE MANAGEMENT


A CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE


Paul Killoughery, MD at Bio Collectors thinks we need


to harness the mindset of ‘shopping and eating locally’, to improve how we deal with our food waste, and make it so that food that travels from farm to fork and back, using Anaerobic Digestion.


Since 2000, recycling rates in London have steadily been rising. They have now plateaued at around 33-34%, but remain a long way off the EU target for the UK to recycle 50% of household waste by 2020. To achieve a ‘greener, cleaner London’, an aspiration of Mayor Sadiq Khan, to help promote the circular economy for waste, and ensure London is a leading model for sustainability.


“ONLY 18 OF 33


LONDON BOROUGHS ARE CURRENTLY


COLLECTING FOOD WASTE SEPARATELY.”


Studies by WRAP note that food waste produced in households, hospitality and foodservice sectors contribute to around 10m tonnes-worth of waste a year, a large proportion of which could have been recycled or avoided altogether. In addition, Recycle for London estimates that the average person throws away around £200-worth of food each year, rising to £700 for families. Disposing of this waste is currently costing authorities more than £50m annually, while it generates approximately 2.1m tonnes of C02


.


In order to reduce the impact on the environment, a greater emphasis must be placed on more sustainable methods of waste disposal.


We launched a report to put pressure on London’s councils to improve their recycling rates and encourage food waste separation in a bid to reduce


36 | TOMORROW’S FM


the amount sent to incineration and landfill – the most environmentally- damaging means of disposal. Tackling London’s Food Waste highlights the issues around food waste in the capital and calls for councils to improve waste collection and disposal methods to improve recycling and reduce harmful emissions.


Our evidence shows that several councils send food waste in London to landfill or incineration, which is often the case when waste is not segregated. Only 18 of 33 London boroughs are currently collecting food waste separately. Critically, food waste that is segregated cannot by law be sent to landfill and should, therefore, be made a priority for councils.


While a zero waste target is preferable, the reality is there will always be leftovers, like egg shells and banana skins, that require disposal. While landfill and incineration are common options for London councils, Bio Collectors’ report champions anaerobic digestion (AD). This disposal method sits higher on the waste hierarchy and is proven to save businesses money and reduce the impact their waste has on the environment.


There is evidence to suggest that landfill sites are filling up, but AD plants in the UK are estimated to be operating at 50% capacity. As the largest food waste collector and recycler in London, Bio Collectors is currently at 50% capacity, processing around 50,000 tonnes annually. The question is, with 890,000 tonnes


“DISPOSING OF THIS WASTE IS CURRENTLY


COSTING AUTHORITIES MORE THAN £50M ANNUALLY.”


of consumer food waste produced in London a year – where is the remainder going?


Our aim is to encourage London businesses to recycle more of their food waste. To do that we are aiming to put pressure on local authorities and businesses who are still sending food waste to incineration plants or landfill, when it could be recycled responsibly, reducing the negative impact on the environment.


The focus of shopping locally and eating locally sourced food should extend to how we deal with our food waste. This would then feed into the circular economy of food that travels from farm to fork, then back to farm.


www.biocollectors.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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