Food waste collections: Research and evidence Chris Mills Programme Area Manager- Food Waste Collections
Dec 14, 2015
Food waste collections:Research and evidence
Chris MillsProgramme Area Manager-Food Waste Collections
Total estimated UK arisings of food (and drink) waste is ~15 million tonnes per year
7.2mt household 3.2mtfood manufacturing (industrial) 0.6mthospitality 0.4mtretail/distribution 0.1mtschools 3.0mtother: commercial/agriculture/hospitals
Trends
• Significant rise in food services to households
• Recent growth in separate collections
• Drivers of LF Tax, targets, service improvement
• Contribution to National Targets• Room for further capture
Emissions from in vessel composting 1 tonne of food waste
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
100
Collection (15miles)
Transfer to IVCsite (15 miles)
IVC emissions(diesel &electric)
IVC compostingemissions
avoidedemissions from
landfill
Net emissions
Life Cycle Stage
kg
CO
2eq
em
itte
d
Correlation between participation and deprivation
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Index of Multiple Deprivation
Yie
ld: kg
per
hou
sehol
d p
er w
eek
Weekly food – different refuse frequencies
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Number of weeks from trial roll-out
Avera
ge food w
ast
e y
ield
: kg/ h
ouse
hold
serv
ed /
week
Fortnightly refuse Weekly refuse
Combined garden and food systems• Typically lower capture –
frequency and mixing with garden issues
• Frequent waste composition is essential
• Seasonality
• Refuse Collection Vehicle and wheeled bin collection
• IVC destination
• High additional treatment cost
WRAP cost and operational performance benchmarks
• Indicative cost and performance data by rurality grouping
• Industry capex/opex benchmarks• Gross costs of options• Net costs• Round sizes• Pick rates
Non-participation in food waste collections
• Importance of frequency
• Single biggest factor is always - “we
don’t produce enough food waste”
• Concerns about hygiene, odour or vermin
raised by non-participants – not
participants
• No concern over container numbers
Hospitality & Food Service Agreement
•Prevention target: Reduce food and associated packaging waste arising by 5% by
the end of 2015. This would be against a 2012 baseline and be measured by CO2e emissions
•Waste management target: Increase the overall rate of food and packaging waste being
recycled, sent to Anaerobic Digestion or composted to at least 70% by the end of 2015.
• Business benefits (25% of sector achieve targets)= £76m net savings to business and 570,000 tonnes CO2e saving
But few current SME collections…
SMEs unwilling to pay extra Recruitment can be difficult;
price, convenience, space, contract terms
Very low take up by telesales/ direct mail; need pre-arranged visits
Refuse charges made by lift not weight
Recent Work on Business Food Collections
• Published business case • Funded commercial collection
demonstration projects• Development of new web tools and
guidance• New cost calculator for businesses to
identify cost and performance of options
Business benefits
• Significant savings upstream• Using yield data from collections to
inform stock control • Savings for larger businesses• Collaborative procurement
opportunities• New WRAP report on “True Cost of
Food Waste” for businesses
Macerators
• Ban in Scotland from 2016• Defra CBA for HH collections- on
environmental and financial grounds collection favoured
• WRAP CBA on NHS food options• ZWS – monitoring on NHS sites• Concerns raised over sewer impact
and measuring diversion
27
Web supportWRAP websites across the UK - Supporting households, Authorities and businesses on food waste management
• Love Food Hate Waste• Resource Efficient Scotland
• Business Resource Efficiency Hub
• SME Food Collections• Local Authority Advisory support
Current Collections Work 2013-14
1.Collections from public sector and
food manufacturers
2.Further research on liners and de-
packaging
3.Disseminating work on commercial
collections
4.Developing business support tools
5.Interventions to improving
performance of household food waste
collections
Considerations in previous landfill bans or regions setting high targets
• Business case and cost of options
• Reviewing current performance• Communications for scheme changes
• De-packaging infrastructure for commercial collections
• Treatment contract implications
• Business facing support• Monitoring and enforcement
Further Information:
www.wrap.org.uk
WRAP Northern IrelandThe Mount2 Woodstock LinkBelfastBT6 8DD
Tel: 028 9073 7290