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

Kitchen caddies – all scheme types

Combined garden/food waste

Kerbside buckets for separate food collection

Food only – dedicated

Co-collection

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

Depackaging Feedstock supply

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