Every year too many workers are killed or injured through unnecessary contact with plant and machinery on construction sites and beyond.
Zonr plant proximity solution has been designed and built using Pathfindr’s technology expertise in collaboration with construction safety experts. It uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) signals to create a virtual barrier around dangerous plant and equipment.
Zonr Sensor
Zonr Base Unit
Zonr Tag
Welcome to the March issue of Future Waste, an issue packed with some really inspiring events as we embark on a great year for sustainability. There’s so much to read; from the top mobile apps helping to reduce food waste, to finding out what you missed at The National Food Waste conference, organised by LetsRecycle. com. The event brought together many key food waste sectors including waste processors, food waste producers, waste management companies, local authorities & charities to discuss the opportunities and challenges that food waste presents.
This issue looks to bring you the latest on all things central to food waste, whether it’s the food waste itself or tackling the packaging it comes in.
Be sure to check out Keenan Recycling as our cover story on page 39, as they guide us through all you need to know about food waste recycling, including what it is, why you should recycle food and how it can save businesses thousands.
Also, in this food edition of Future Waste, Severn Trent Green Power, one of the largest food waste recyclers in the UK, explain how they are turning turning food waste into renewable energy for the residents of Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick on page 58.
Be sure to find out all that took place during WRAP’s Food Waste Action Week, which took place 6 - 12 March 2023, as they share ways to ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ in a campaign to increase confidence in ‘using up leftovers’ that can have a significant impact on reducing food waste in the home.
Keep up to date with the latest via our website and social media pages and we look forward to seeing you for our next issue!
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A round-up of the latest news from the recycling and waste sectors over the past few months.
Find out what you missed at The National Food Waste Conference, organised by LetsRecycle.com, which brought together many key industry names to discuss the opportunities and challenges that food waste presents.
Kate Hutchison guides us through the top apps helping to combat food waste with just a few taps of your phone.
Martina Tonelli takes a look into the waste management equipment & sustainable solutions on show at this year’s Executive Hire Show at Coventry Building Society Arena, which took place on 8-10th February 2023.
The UK’s largest dedicated food waste collection company, Keenan Recycling, guides us through all you need to know about food waste recycling, including what it is, why you should recycle food and how it can save businesses thousands.
Future Waste delve into WRAP’s Food Waste Action Week, which took place on 6 - 12 March 2023, as they explore ways to ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ and increase confidence in ‘using up leftovers’ that can have a significant impact on reducing food waste in the home.
Biffa tell us more about their latest investment creating studio space for a new business that transforms beach and leisure waste into unique handmade accessories.
Severn Trent Green Power, one of the largest food waste recyclers in the UK, show us how they are turning food waste into renewable energy for the residents of Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick.
Martina Tonelli takes a look into the plastic packaging tax which is causing businesses to rethink their packaging strategies for food packaging.
Viridor has announced a formal offer to acquire Quantafuel ASA, for c. £90m and provide additional capital to support Quantafuel’s current development projects.
The proposed acquisition reflects Viridor’s ambition to lead innovation in the plastics recycling sector and deliver full circularity in all four major plastics by 2025.
Quantafuel’s plastics to liquids process converts waste plastics into a raw material, comparable to virgin fossil fuel derived refined products. This material can be used in the chemicals industry for the production of new plastics.
The technology is particularly effective for plastic films which are notoriously difficult to recycle. Every year nearly 400,000 tonnes of plastic film packaging is placed on the UK consumer market but less than 10% of it is recycled. Current mechanical recycling processes typically lead to a downcycling in quality and are not suitable for use in the food sector due to strict food safety controls. The Quantafuel process is explicitly designed to tackle plastic film waste and the need for a sustainable solution to the recovery, recycling and production of recycled food grade plastic films.
In 2021, Viridor committed to building a fully circular plastics business by 2025 through recycling all four major plastics back to food grade. In 2022, Viridor opened its Avonmouth polymers processing facility converting over 1 billion bottles a year back into new plastics. This proposed acquisition marks continued innovation with the addition of plastic film and chemical recycling, opening up the route towards perpetual plastics recycling.
Kevin Bradshaw, Viridor CEO said; ‘This marks a critical step on Viridor’s growth journey to build a truly circular plastics economy. Plastics are a key solution in so many aspects of our lives. Advanced recycling processes like Quantafuel’s are essential to ensure those plastics can be recycled again and again. Our proposed acquisition and investment represents the strong commitment both businesses have to ensuring we deliver a better environment.”
Plastic packaging accounts for c. 16% of the non-recycled waste stream but accounts for c. 70% of the fossil carbon emissions from the Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities that process them. Removing plastics from the waste stream and recycling them reduces the climate impact from EfW and displaces virgin plastics reducing the reliance on fossil fuels for plastic manufacture.
Viridor Group Development Director Richard Belfield added: “This partnership with Quantafuel will help drive the decarbonisation of our Energy Recovery Facilities by taking plastic wastes away from the non-recycled waste stream and enable us to grow the breadth of our plastic recycling offering. The opportunity to deliver a food grade plastics film solution to the market is an exciting opportunity towards building a world where nothing goes to waste.”
Lars Rosenløv, CEO of Quantafuel added: “Viridor is a good fit and is, just like Quantafuel, determined to play a leading role in transforming the waste sector towards circularity. Plastic waste is one of our time’s most pressing environmental challenges and chemical recycling is key to help solve this. I’m glad that Viridor is eager to position Quantafuel for future growth and take on the next chapter of the company’s journey.”
‘This marks a critical step on Viridor’s growth journey to build a truly circular plastics economy’
Reporting requirements for the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging came into force on the 17th March.
Plans to make it easier for consumers to recycle packaging waste now move a step closer, as reporting requirements for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) come into force.
Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) will make firms that supply household packaging responsible for the costs of dealing with packaging waste, moving costs away councils and council taxpayers.
Producers will be required to pay for the collection and disposal costs of household packaging they supply when it becomes waste. This will encourage producers to reduce the amount of packaging they place on the market, and to improve the recyclability of their packaging – in turn ensuring less waste ends up in the natural environment.
From 17th March 2023, all obligated packaging producers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland must collect information on the amount and type of packaging they have supplied during 2023. Wales will follow shortly.
Producers with a turnover of greater than £2 million and who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year must also report this information to the Environment Agency twice a year.
The first reports must be submitted from 1 October 2023. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “We need to stem the flow of packaging which goes unrecycled and instead is lost forever to landfill and incineration.
As set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan, these reforms will encourage businesses to increase their use of recyclable materials, shifting costs away from the taxpayer and supporting our work to protect the environment from the scourge of waste.”
Deep Sagar, chair of the Advisory Committee on Packaging, said:
“Packaging materials that are not recycled back into new packaging harm our natural environment. Councils have to spend more managing that waste and the public cannot enjoy spaces such as parks and high streets as they should.
Extended Producer Responsibility will reduce that waste. It will make goods producers pay for collection of all packaging waste encouraging them to reduce or recycle more packaging. I look forward to supporting government and industry in making this smart policy work for the public and improving the environment.”
Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation at the Waste and Resources Action Programme, said:
“The introduction of an EPR for packaging could be a game-changer. If done effectively, it could reduce the impact packaging has on the environment by regulating material use and increasing recycling.
For EPR to work it must serve all – producers, local and central government, recyclers, and the public. We’ve been working with these key groups since 2018 to help
collaboration on pEPR.
In 2020, 12 million tonnes of packaging was placed on the UK market, some of which contains plastics that are hard to recycle. Incentivising producers to use better, more recyclable materials will help to stem this tide of waste.”
Producers will be required to pay an EPR fee towards the costs of collecting and managing household packaging waste, currently borne by local authorities. This shift of cost is estimated to be around £1.2 billion per year across all local authorities, once EPR is fully operational.
Before decisions are made about the final shape of the scheme, we need to gather information from businesses that will be affected. This data will provide the basis for establishing the packaging waste management fees individual producers will pay in 2024, when pEPR comes into force.
We are engaging with businesses and local authorities to shape the future vision of waste reforms through industrywide sprint events, deep dive sessions and fortnightly forums. This will help ensure business readiness for our planned reforms from 2024, ensuring industry are involved in shaping the long-term future of EPR.
These plans build on our wider efforts to eliminate avoidable plastic waste. Earlier this year we announced that a ban on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups, will be introduced in England from October 2023.
We have also announced further details on the implementation of our Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.
We have already introduced a ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds, and our world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax introduced last year.
Meanwhile, our single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by over 97% in the main supermarkets.
The waste and recycling sector is a critical part of our economy and plays a crucial role in ensuring a sustainably led future. However, it is also a sector that is fraught with danger and risks. From hazardous waste to workplace accidents, the waste and recycling sector presents a significant challenge for workers and businesses when it comes to safety.
As with any large-scale waste operation, the use of heavy plant machinery and vehicles alongside operatives and ground workers, will always present a safety risk. No site, even with the highest health and safety standards and best practices is 100% free from danger. In fact, between 2017 and 2021, the waste and recycling industry had the highest rate of fatal injuries per year – with 70% of all fatalities linked to workers being struck by vehicles or through contact with moving machinery.
In a report from the HSE in 2022,
they highlighted the increased dangers associated with the waste and recycling sector - between 2017/18 and 2020/21, the waste sector recorded an average of five fatal injuries per year, representing 4.58 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers, and between 2015-2021 there was an estimated 3,000 workers each year who sustained an injury at work.
The HSE outlined: “The waste and recycling sector has an elevated rate of fatal injury [between 2017/18 and 2020/21]. The fatal injury rate (4.61 per 100,000 workers) is around 11 times higher than all industry rate.
The most common cause of injury or fatality was a worker being struck by a moving vehicle with 37% of all confirmed fatalities. Second was contact with moving machinery
at 33%.
Although existing control methods such as physical barriers, warning signs and correct health and safety training for workers are already in place, they are never 100% effective due to human error, on-site distractions, and other mitigating circumstances.
So, what can be done to increase the control measures already in place to help make the industry even safer and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities?
One way to increase your safety measures is to implement a plant proximity solution. A proximity solution provides dynamic virtual barriers intended to warn workers and plant operators of any incursion into defined safety exclusion zones, and help avoid worker/vehicle/machinery related deaths and injuries.
One of the best on the market is the Zonr Plant Proximity Solution. Zonr creates virtual safety exclusion zones that warn your workers when they’re getting too close to dangerous or moving equipment. The Zonr system creates a virtual barrier around anything you attach a sensor to, using UWB technology (the same technology found in an Apple Tag). This allows workers and plant operators to have an extra layer of safety protection while on site.
One way to that you can increase your safety measures is to implement a plant proximity solution.
Following a meticulous design and testing process, SMT GB has now launched a brand new one-stop information, service and online parts ordering portal nationwide.
A core frustration faced by many fleet managers on a daily basis is the requirement to access multiple online or app-based portals and platforms to manage and maintain a modern fleet of machines.
To lighten this burden, MySMT offers a one-stop solution for SMT GB’s customers to manage their fleets.
Using a secure, web-based portal, customers can easily and quickly access, monitor and act on multiple aspects of fleet management, both from the office or on the move.
To ensure that the information stored on MySMT in a useful and usable manner, the platform is divided into the three distinct areas: “Company”, “Fleet” and “Parts”.
“Company” provides customers with visibility of financial transactions with SMT GB, all active CSA and Warranty contracts, oil sampling reports, ProCare recommendations and Service Inspection Reports.
“Fleet” provides customers with access to current fleet details, including location, operating hours, information of fuel consumption, productivity data, CO2 emissions and visibility of repair and maintenance data on all machines within a customer’s fleet.
“Parts” provides access to the newly launched SMT online parts store, allowing customers to look up and order all genuine Volvo parts 24/7, with access to technical drawings if required.
Another helpful feature of MySMT is ability to create multiple staff user accounts with varying levels of access and visibility to the system. This ensures that key decision making processes are preserved within the original arrangements of the customer’s
management structure, while also providing staff responsible for the monitoring and administration of their fleet the ability to do so through MySMT.
Commenting on the launch of MySMT, Commercial Solution Manager Jack Kenny states: “MySMT provides a simple, user-friendly and secure portal for staff to carry out a wide range of monitoring, management and administrative tasks from.”.
Jack continues: “By combining information and the ability to take action instantly from a single, universally-accessible platform, staff responsible for fleet management and administration are offered the peace of
mind from knowing that they are taking the best possible proactive steps to keep their fleet and operations running smoothly, all thanks to MySMT.”
Concluding, Jack states: “SMT are committed to bringing customer information into the digital age, and will continue to develop MySMT with our customers’ needs at the forefront of any new development”.
When using the right machine, waste can be transformed into valuable raw materials. Reducing, re-using and recovering waste to manage waste sustainably can be done profitably. Efficiently recycling waste by conventional means is notoriously difficult, and in most cases only a certain percentage of the waste ends up recycled. But what if there was an easier way?
We are lucky enough to have the most versatile machine on the market in regards to the TANA Shark Shredder. Be it general waste, mattresses, tyres, wood, plastic, C&I, C&D the Shark can handle them all and more. Pair that with excellence in service and you have a winning formula.
There are many applications to which the TANA Shark shredder can be used. The TANA Shark can shred all kinds of end-of-life tyres. These could come from cars, trucks, aircrafts and heavy-duty vehicles and can be really difficult to recycle. The TANA Shark uses hightorque to make it possible to shred tyres to an 80 mm particle size in just one pass and separates most of the metal wires directly from the shredded material flow on the conveyor. The steel wiring is
removed in the shredding process and by an over-band magnet in the unloading conveyor. Once separated, shredded tyres and metals can be sold and reused in many ways.
For packaging materials such as hard and soft plastics, cardboard, paper, wires, paper rolls, containers, aluminium, gypsum or any reject from the production line of a manufacturing process can all be shredded using the TANA Shark. TANA Shredders are well utilised in the treatment of this variety of material. Many complications arise from commercial and industrial waste depending on the recollection process of the materials. TANA shredders are slow speed and use a single shaft with high torque that optimises the machines functions. Because of TANA shredders unique features downtime is minimal as processes are in place to ensure the treatment process runs smoothly and efficiently without breaking down or requiring a ‘cool off’ period.
Get more out of your investment with the TANA Shark’s low-rev and high torque process. This makes light work for difficult materials such as mattresses, cables and wires, and ragger wires. Some of these materials are loathed by landfill operators as especially mattresses contain a mixture of complex materials such as textiles, latex, foam, springs and wood that are difficult to recycle. The magnetic separation of metals can generate additional income, as it can be sold on for recycling purposes. As cables and wires come in a plethora of shapes, sizes and contents, they can be classed as almost impossible to separate. However, the high torque capabilities of the TANA Shark enable this process to be possible.
IS SO OFTEN QUOTED; AS ACCOUNTING FOR 70 TO 80% ?
If 80% of premature failures attributed to contamination was backed by definitive evidence 40 years ago; we would doubt it would still be the same today! –wouldn’t we?
But we still operate those huge, old reliable balers & shears, or large plant equipment designed to last 30 years plus.
The OEM hydraulics of then didn’t really consider contamination so we see a lot of equipment without any filtration at all, or with so many inadequate systems ‘added on’ through the years; considered little more than ‘rock catchers’. Many older systems only used screens to trap the large particles of over 50 micron, whereas tolerances between moving parts these days are into single number micron.
NO! the level of tolerance in machinery is incredibly finer than ever before & many components are even more sensitive to contamination, so increasing that need for yet even finer filtration… & yes the filtration & awareness of the importance of fluid cleanliness has improved – but in essence the relationships are still the same! ; even more so with the increasing workload demands & crucial uninterrupted performance needs.
Contamination issues remain the same; being just anything that shouldn’t
be there; dirt, water, rust, air, & wear debris - & the root causes remain persistent as general ingress, faulty pumps, system breaches, wearing cylinders, perishing seals, moisture or temperature issues, alongside the harder workloads we inflict on the equipment these days.
SO YES ! – The claim remains the same; So what is the best solution?
Without condemning the virtues of standard pressure & return filtration – it generally just can’t get down to the finer levels when it must meet the high flow velocities & pressures of the main system forcing those particles through the media.
Oil is the life blood of your machine & much like kidney dialysis; a By-pass or Off-line filtration system enables slow, continuous, multi-pass filtration at a controlled flow velocity & safe pressure drop, which results in the far higher filtering efficiency.
KLEENOIL By-pass cellulose depth filtration will affordably achieve these levels & maintain to a cleanliness target within the expected ISO 18/16/13 of new oil.
Controlling contamination to its absolute best improves hydraulic
system reliability & longevity while reducing total cost of ownership of equipment. And with constantly cleaned oil; in conjunction with reliable condition monitoring; a company can eliminate the oil changes based on routine & move to essential changes based on assessed condition….. generally extending oil life by 5 times or more.
Any machine operating on constantly cleansed oil is going to outperform its counterparts
Minutes published by the Advisory Committee for Packaging (ACP) from the 1 November ACP meeting have highlighted that its members feel there is “no clear case” for interventions in the market, but compliance with packaging regulations is under review. (writes Joshua Doherty of Let’s Recycle)
The minutes were published on the National Packaging Waste Database and were from the 1 November ACP meeting held at Re-Gen Waste’s Northern Ireland facility.
The group, which advises government on policy development on packaging recycling, heard a presentation which said it had been “difficult to assess the issues that are leading to reduced availability/ high prices of PRN/PERNs”.
The minutes noted that some concern was expressed over the reasons for the reduction in glass ‘other’ (aggregate) being hard to discern. However, “members concluded that there was not a clear case for proposing specific interventions, rather it was felt that the group should keep the compliance position and PRN market under review.”
The record high PRN prices in 2022 led to more fears over noncompliance, after a similar picture in 2021 meant many did not comply.
The high prices being recorded
have also drawn criticism from producers, most notably the British Beer and Pub Association on 15 February, which called for the government to intervene.
Members and Defra officials did however, according to the minutes, provide some theories as to why glass aggregate availability levels are low. This is believed to be related to changes in the amount of waste being generated, as well as a downturn in construction activity (and a drop in demand for aggregates).
Higher energy prices have also lead to increased processing costs, the group heard.
The EA responded to concerns, the minutes said, “reporting work being done to look at outputs and tonnage that has been evidenced, as well as looking at trends across quarterly data, to investigate significant discrepancies”.
Defra also “noted precedent of ACP to issue a statement regarding the compliance position”.
However, it was agreed that no announcement of a departure from current requirements in the regulations was required and that all producers/schemes are expected to take all reasonable endeavours to achieve compliance.
The ACP is designed to bring together industry expertise with a specific interest in packaging and packaging waste to advise and make recommendations to government to assist with their policy development on packaging reuse, recovery and recycling.
Members represent various parts of the packaging chain, including businesses which have legal obligations under the Producer Responsibility Obligations as well as others who are involved in the management of packaging waste – local authorities, compliance schemes, waste management companies, reprocessors and exporters.
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) and Reloop have released guidelines for legislating Mixed Waste Sorting (MWS) in the context of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
The guidelines were developed to clarify the amendment proposed by the European Parliament regarding the use of mixed wastes for ‘renewable energy’ purposes (1).
The document recommends applying MWS systems of defined quality to remove fossil-derived materials to ensure that only biogenic waste is used for renewable energy generation. Following the requirement, the operators would either need to pre-sort the waste on-site or demonstrate that all waste received has undergone sorting prior to it being delivered for incineration.
Janek Vähk, Climate, Energy and Air Pollution Programme coordinator at ZWE, stated: “Currently, at incineration plants, the ‘biodegradable fraction of mixed waste’ is never combusted without large quantities of (often recyclable) fossil-derived materials being present. Therefore, to ensure that the RED supports schemes that don’t allow the burning of fossil materials such as plastics, mixed waste sorting should be made mandatory for operators that want to sell their energy as renewable.”
Clarissa Morawski, CEO of Reloop, stated: “The criteria proposed doesn’t create a new obligation as it’s already in the definition of renewable energy to use only the biogenic fractions of wastes and not fossils.”
The guide also recommends setting the following minimum performance criteria for MSW systems:
• For plastics > 70%, with non-target materials contributing no more than 10%
• For steel >80%, with non-target materials contributing no more than 4%
• For aluminium >60%, with non-target materials contributing no more than 6%
A recent report by Eunomia Research and Consulting found that MWS would be necessary (in addition to improving separate collection and design for recycling) to ensure that existing plastic packaging and municipal waste recycling targets are met and to ensure progress towards the EU’s wider carbon emissions reduction goals.
ZWE and Reloop call on the European Council and Parliament to improve the criteria for mixed wastes to ensure this would only qualify as a source of renewable energy if it has undergone sorting of defined quality.
SALUBATA is excited to introduce the world to its patented modular shoes, the ultimate eco-friendly footwear option that’s set to change the fashion industry forever. With a mission to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability, SALUBATA has created a unique manufacturing process that repurposes ocean-deemed plastic waste to create fashionable unisex sneakers that are both stylish and comfortable.
Through SALUBATA’s innovative approach to sustainability, the brand has gained widespread recognition and praise from environmental organisations and fashion experts alike. By using ecofriendly materials and a modular design that allows customers to customise their shoes, SALUBATA is offering a versatile and unique product that is perfect for anyone looking to make a positive impact on the environment.
SALUBATA’s Kickstarter campaign is the first step towards revolutionizing
the footwear industry and ending plastic waste for good. The funds raised from the campaign will be used to further develop the manufacturing process and expand the brand’s reach, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
By supporting SALUBATA’s campaign, you are not only contributing to a brand that is dedicated to sustainability but also taking the first step towards an ecofriendlier lifestyle. With SALUBATA, you can be part of the solution to end plastic waste and create a better world for all.
Join the movement towards a cleaner, more sustainable future by backing SALUBATA’s Kickstarter campaign today.
For further information or press enquiries, please contact SALUBATA at contact@salubataofficial.com or visit the website at www.salubataofficial.com.
from plastic waste have arrived to change eco-friendly footwear forever
Veolia, the world champion of ecological transformation, is launching an unprecedented global offer to help its municipal, tertiary and industrial customers build and implement their decarbonization roadmaps and adapt their business models to current and future climate challenges. The offer provides solutions to directly contribute to the achievement of the European Union’s climate targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 20301 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050 The new offering covers the entire value chain, making it possible for customers to reduce their emissions by up to 80%. It comprises a portfolio of 100 solutions identified in Veolia’s areas of expertise in water, waste and energy, of which 80% are existing (such as energy efficiency, fuel-switching, etc.) and 20% are innovative (CCUS, green hydrogen, etc.). The offering is based on the GreenPath Digital Platform, which allows customers to measure their overall environmental performance using tools to inventory emissions, water footprint and biodiversity and select appropriate long-term technical solutions.
1 In relation to 1990, the base year for emissions
please visit the website : https://www.veolia.com/en/ solutions/greenpath-zero-carbonplus-de-100-solutions-pour-unmodele-durable-de-decarbonation
Veolia can help industrial customers, for example, reduce their emissions:
• Upstream of their production processes by supplying them with recycled plastic, low-carbon fuel (recovered solid fuels), etc.
• During their production processes, by improving their energy efficiency; by replacing fossil energies with local, decarbonized/low-carbon energies; and by reducing their water consumption and related emissions.
• Downstream of their processes, by recycling their waste, recovering process energy and re-using wastewater.
• Through innovation, by developing pilot projects in key emerging areas such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
“While almost all economic and social players are committed to achieving carbon neutrality, Veolia is supporting them in this process with appropriate industrial ecology solutions. The GreenPath offer is the best of our international expertise at the crossroads of three businesses in water, waste and energy, which enables us to build decarbonization roadmaps with our clients to help them transform their business models in a sustainable way,” commented Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our job and our responsibility as the ecology of solutions ecology leader is to provide the solutions needed for our clients’ decarbonization, de-pollution, resource saving and regeneration trajectories.”
Plastics resource efficiency and recycling charity, RECOUP, expands its service provisions by introducing a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) service and its own state-of-the-art laboratory to complement its recognised RecyClass certification service and facilities.
The addition of LCA to RECOUP’s repertoire, will enable the organisation to assess the environmental impact of products, goods, and services across their life cycle from raw material extraction through to end-of-life.
RECOUP believe that the use of LCA can assist with informing evidence-based decisions on product development and design, support supply chain and procurement decisions, track performance over time of packaging changes, improve overall environmental outcomes in line with strategy and policy, and challenge misinformation and greenwash.
Katherine Fleet, Head of Sustainability & Circularity comments: “ RECOUP has been working on building LCA capability to assist members and the wider industry to better inform decision making related to product design in order that decisions are based on environmentally sound evidence rather than emotion.”
RECOUP currently test members’ plastic packaging samples for sortability at a Materials Recovery Facility, free of charge to members as a benefit of membership. The addition of the in-house laboratory has enabled RECOUP to further enhance its testing of plastics samples and material identification.
In particular, the RECOUP laboratory uses near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify the constituent components of a pack and help determine recyclability.
Richard Cham, Packaging Projects Officer comments: “ I am excited about our future plans for the laboratory, in particular the introduction of FTIR microscopy which will enable the investigation of smaller, hard to see imperfections and contaminants, and give RECOUP the ability to analyse and identify microplastics from separated samples.”
Alongside the laboratory, RECOUP is also a UK provider for RecyClasscertification which assesses and evaluates plastic packaging in
terms of its recyclability.
Kate Bedford, Packaging Projects Manager at RECOUP comments: “RecyClass assesses the recyclability of plastic packaging, with certification for brand owners and compatibility for packaging manufacturers. RECOUP work as auditors for RecyClass in the UK; offering both members and non-members the opportunity to gain the certification.”
If you are interested in learning more about RecyClass certification email: recyclass@recoup.org for LCA email: LCA@recoup.org or lab enquires, email: enquiry@recoup.org
currently test members’ plastic packaging samples for sortability at a Materials Recovery Facility, free of charge to members as a benefit of membership
AMCS, the world’s leading technology provider for the environmental, waste, recycling, and resource management industry, today announced the global launch of the AMCS Platform Spring 2023 release, the first feature release of this year.
This release builds on the strong recycling foundations of the AMCS Platform and is designed to address a challenging business environment characterized by inflationary pressure, fragile supply chains and volatile commodity prices. Key features of the Spring release include:
A new commodity Brokerage solution providing full automation to manage the trading, logistics and financial dimensions of this business model. It delivers the control and visibility to grow a profitable and efficient brokerage trading business, while leveraging the end-to-end recycling process workflows of the Platform
An updated Recycling Operations Dashboard providing real-time and actionable insights across recycling operations, identifying opportunities to drive cost efficiencies and grow margins.
Launch of AMCS Field Services, a SaaS solution designed to manage fixed plant assets and deliver specialized field services, into Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. AMCS Field Services is already a proven in North America and is highly configurable meaning it can be tailored to meet the needs of operators who deliver specialist field services requiring skill qualifications as well as safety and environmental compliance.
‘’We are delighted to launch our new Commodity Brokerage and Recycling Operations Dashboard as part of the AMCS Platform Spring ’23 release. These investments will deliver greater trading efficiencies and insights for our recycling customers,” said Elaine Treacy, Global Product Director at AMCS.
“We are also launching our comprehensive AMCS Field Services solution into new markets, empowering operators to manage their fixed assets and deliver specialist field services. Our ongoing transformation of the customer experience through enhanced automation is realized with innovations in finance, logistics and customer self-service.”
The release also delivers enhanced pricing options in AMCS Platform, new recurring fees and discount capabilities are designed to grow revenue, reduce administration costs, and prevent customer churn through the controlled use of incentives. Improved automation agility, superior invoice automation, enhanced unattended scale operations, exception-based route confirmation, plus extended self-serve capabilities combine to offer valueadded functionalities.
To learn more about AMCS Platform Spring ‘23 Release, visit www.amcsgroup.com
Tesco has revealed plans to replace the plastic tubs its laundry detergent pods are sold in with new recyclable cardboard packaging.
The move into card will save 252 tonnes of plastic annually, and over four million pieces of plastic across eight lines. The box contains more than 90% recycled cardboard, and is FSC certified, with a thin plastic liner inside to protect the pods. When empty, the cardboard box can be put in the normal household recycle bin.
Over 24 million people in the UK regularly buy laundry products, with more than 38% already opting for pods – compared to 28% choosing powder detergent and 34% preferring liquid or gel.
Tesco is also launching bigger packs of pods for families that offer even better value. The range will consist of three products, bio, non-
bio and scented, priced at £5.50 for 40 washes.
Tesco Group Quality Director Sarah Bradbury said:“Customers are focused on getting great value right now, but we know that they still want to choose products that use less or no plastic in their packaging. This is one of many changes we’re making to reduce unnecessary plastic from products right across our stores.”
This move comes as part of Tesco’s 4Rs packaging strategy to tackle the impact of plastic waste. This means Tesco removes plastic where it can, reduces where it can’t, looks at ways to reuse more and recycle what’s left.
Since the launch of the 4Rs strategy in August 2019, Tesco has removed 1.8bn pieces of plastic and reduced packaging by more than 10,000 tonnes.
Fruit juices, crisps and cheese are among many products that are all now being produced using less plastic.
252 tonnes of plastic saved annually through making the change.
The National Food Waste Conference, organised by LetsRecycle.com, took place on 9th March 2023 at Wellcome Collection, London.
The conference, in partnership with NNFCC and the Renewable Energy Association, brought together many key food waste sectors. These included waste processors, food waste producers, waste management companies, local authorities and charities with sponsorships from Bio Capital, BioteCH4, BritishBins, DryCake, GapGroup, Hillend Engineering, Keenan Recycling, MetroSTOR, Peter Ridley Waste Systems, Severn Trent Green Power, TREST and YPO to discuss the opportunities and challenges that food waste presents.
The day was split into four sessions with networking opportunities breaking up the day.
Session one kicked off the conference with a sector overview chaired by Josh Doherty, Editor, Letsrecycle. com, followed by an overview of the anaerobic digestion market in the UK led by Lucy Hopwood Business Development Director, Lead Consultant for Bioenergy & Anaerobic Digestion NNFCC. This explained the important and widespread role anaerobic digestion plays in the UK’s Net Zero
Strategy as well as the current UK policies and regulations. This included the Green Gas Support Scheme; set to run until Autumn 2025 as well as the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which encourages the production and use of eco-friendly and renewable fuels.
Session one also looked into the opportunities and challenges of the market. It explored its strong and
significant growth potential as well as the possible impact of current supply chain issues and regulatory delays. Lucy Hopwood closed the session by reinforcing the message that the anaerobic digestion industry remains active and vibrant, with future development looking to be influenced by feedstock availability and accessibility.
Session one also explored the
requirements of TEEP (Technically, Environmentally and Economically Practicable and Commission guidance), led by Peter Jones, Managing Consultant, Eunomia Research & Consulting as well as an exploration into the Carbon Benefits of Food Waste Prevention within the supply chain, with Robert Fell, Director and Chief Executive, MPMA & Canned Food UK.
Robert Fell covered the scope of metal food packaging, including the beginning of food can making, supply chain and storage benefits as well as environmental benefits associated with using cans. He explained when food spoils it produces methane which has a global warming potential many times that of carbon dioxide. Utilising metal food packaging, which is infinitely recyclable, provides an exceptionally long shelf life which benefits the environment as well as the nutritional value of food.
Session Two delved into ‘Mandatory Food Waste Collections’, chaired by Jenny Grant, Head of Organics and Natural Capital, REA. This led into overviews of Food Waste Collection Service by WRAP’S Julia Bragg, Sector Specialist for Waste & Recycling and Chris Mills, Sector Specialist for Collections and Recycling. Julia and
Chris covered the importance of good scheme design and implementation in avoiding high costs, outlining the benefits in carbon terms and cost reductions.
Session two also reinforced the fact that 32% of residual waste collected at the kerbside is food waste which was followed by an analysis of cost and factors impacting communal food waste collections and bin surveys. It explored what can be done to assist with food waste prevention and to get more people involved with food waste recycling.
Following this, Darren Forster, Local Authority and Commercial Development Manager, Biogen UK, explored the Mandatory Food Waste Collections from Food Waste Recycling Company Perspective. This investigated how mandatory food waste collections will lead to a substantial increase in tonnages to anaerobic digestion and how this will impact local authorities to act quickly and engage with the anaerobic digestion sector.
Also covered in session two, Paul Brown, Sales and Aftersales Director, Hillend Engineering, delved into ‘Procurement Challenges and how to combat them’. This covered a wide range of topics, including how manufacturing was impacted by Brexit, COVID, the energy crisis and what vehicle manufacturers can do to combat these issues.
Section three kicked off the afternoon with ‘Are we ready for mandatory food waste collections?’ and featured the keynote presentation from Evonne Cannan, Manager - Food Systems and Circular Bioeconomy, Zero Waste Scotland, which guided the audience through ‘Scotland – Progress with Challenges & Opportunities’. This included their zero-waste vision and specifically how they want to accelerate Scotland’s transition to zero waste and a circular economy.
1.3 billion tonnes of the world’s food is wasted every year. That’s the equivalent of 106 million meals being discarded every year in Scotland. Their plan is designed to reduce unnecessary demand and avoidable waste, optimising organic resources and support technical and business innovation. An update of this plan will be published later this year, outlining key focus areas, and highlighting the need for collaboration to reach this target as well as understanding the barriers in their path and how to use awareness to tackle the problem.
Next on the agenda was a panel discussion, deliberating ‘“Are we Ready for Mandatory Food Waste Collections?’” The panel comprised Evonne Cannan, Manager – Food Systems and Circular Bioeconomy, Zero Waste Scotland; Cathy Cook, Senior Advisor, ReLondon; (LARAC Chair); Nigel Deacon, Director, metroSTOR and Lee Dobinson, Chief Commercial Officer, BioteCH4.
Session four rounded off the day with sector case studies, chaired by Barbora Vaclavova, reporter, Letsrecycle.com.
Matthew Homer, Waste Strategy Manager, Islington Council, presented the background and findings of ‘Food Waste Collections Trial for Flats Above Shops’. Matthew explored the pros and cons of compostable or plastic bags for food waste, communal food waste bins and the trial results, which while early days, are looking to be promising.
Following this, Helen White, Special Advisor - Household Food Waste, WRAP, led an exploration into the ‘Behaviour Change and Food Waste Action Week: how can we influence actual change?’ WRAP’s Food Waste Action Week, which
took place on 6 - 12 March 2023, looked on ways to ‘Win. Don’t Bin.’ A key aim was to increase confidence in ‘using up leftovers’ that can have a significant impact on reducing food waste in the home.
Concluding the day, Helena Jackson, WasteAware Co-ordinator, Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, presented ‘#WORTHSAVING - SAVE FOOD, SAVE MONEY’. Helena explained that 8% of global GHG emissions are caused by consumers wasting food. They have an ambitious aim to reduce residential food waste tonnages by 20% of 2020 levels by 2025 with their campaign action plan, set for a county-wide roll out from May 2023.
The adoption of technology is growing rapidly in waste companies, as the
waste industry embraces a more digital approach that support net zero targets. The possibilities are endless. More and more apps are being developed to help consumers manage their waste, particularly when it comes to food waste.
Available as standalone filtration systems, mobile carts, hydraulic kits and multi -sets to suit any application needing oil cleaning.
In today’s world, food waste is an increasing cause for concern with food waste refering to any food products that are thrown away as opposed to being consumed. The UK is responsible for 9.5 million tonnes of food waste every year. The majority of food waste ends up in a landfill site, contributing significantly to global warming, due to food releasing a large quantity of methane gas as it decomposes.
Remove DIRT & WATER in one filter application
Affordable and easy to change out replacement cartridges
Kind to the planet – as a natural, sustainable product
The good news is there are a variety of food waste apps that use different initiatives to help reduce food waste. Here are the top apps currently helping to alleviate the problem:
Save waste costs, replacement value and labour
Simple ‘plug and play’ application
As a fixed system on a problematic machine or mobile rotational cleanses across your site
• Clean & dry oils to ISO 18/16/13 Class
• Extend oil life
• Improve productivity, machine reliability
• Minimise oil related breakdowns
• Extend component life
• Reduce oil waste
• Extend full flow filter life
• Reduce maintenance costs
The NoWaste app looks to prevent household food waste by tracking expiration dates, ensuring food that is due to expire soon is used up before it is forgotten about and thrown away. The NoWaste app allows you to enter your food’s expiration dates, and even notifies you when the food is about to expire, ensuring it is used up before having to be thrown away.
The Too Good To Go app believes cutting food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse climate change. It works directly with restaurants, cafes and bakeries that list leftover food that would otherwise be thrown away, just because it hasn’t sold in time. Users can then browse listed restaurants in their location to pick up leftover food at a discounted rate.
Registration to the app is free and users can even specify dietary requirements making it suitable for everyone. With a database of over 36,000 restaurants across Europe already signed up with Too Good To Go, including some big names such as Greggs, Costa Coffee, Yo Sushi and more, making sure that food gets eaten and not wasted.
Whether it be to tackle one off contamination issues, or as a permanent fix to heavy use equipment to protect pumps, valves & cylinders etc.. or as a rotational cleanse on off-hire equipment.
KLEENOIL offer a completely free trial at your site ; with before and after independent oil analysis. Call us for more information
For many, smartphones and apps are the main form of communication with brands and everyday services so why shouldn’t the waste management industry be any different?
he adoption of technology is growing rapidly in waste companies, as the
waste industry embraces a more digital approach that support net zero targets. The possibilities are endless. More and more apps are being developed to help consumers manage their waste, particularly when it comes to food waste.
waste industry embraces a more digital approach to support net zero targets. The possibilities are endless. More and more apps are being developed to help consumers manage their waste, particularly when it comes to food waste.
In today’s world, food waste is an increasing cause for concern with food waste refering to any food products that are thrown away as opposed to being consumed. The UK is responsible for 9.5 million tonnes of food waste every year. The majority of food waste ends up in a landfill site, contributing significantly to global warming, due to food releasing a large quantity of methane gas as it decomposes.
In today’s world, food waste is an increasing cause for concern with food waste referring to any food products that are thrown away as opposed to being consumed. The UK is responsible for 9.5 million tonnes of food waste every year. The majority of food waste ends up in a landfill site, contributing significantly to global warming, due to food releasing a large quantity of methane gas as it decomposes.
The good news is there are a variety of food waste apps that use different initiatives to help reduce food waste. Here are the top apps currently helping to alleviate the problem:
The good news is there are a variety of food waste apps that use different initiatives to help reduce food waste. Here are the top apps currently helping to alleviate the problem:
The NoWaste app looks to prevent household food waste by tracking expiration dates, ensuring food that is due to expire soon is used up before it is forgotten about and thrown away. The NoWaste app allows you to enter your food’s expiration dates, and even notifies you when the food is about to expire, ensuring it is used up before having to be thrown away.
The Too Good To Go app believes cutting food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse climate change. It works directly with restaurants, cafes and bakeries that list leftover food that would otherwise be thrown away, just because it hasn’t sold in time. Users can then browse listed restaurants in their location to pick up leftover food at a discounted rate.
Registration to the app is free and users can even specify dietary requirements making it suitable for everyone. With a database of over 36,000 restaurants across Europe already signed up with Too Good To Go, including some big names such as Greggs, Costa Coffee, Yo Sushi and more, making sure that food gets eaten and not wasted.
FoodCloud hopes to transform surplus food into opportunities to make the world a kinder place. The app connects supermarkets with charities and community groups, such as homeless shelters and family support services, across the UK and Ireland to donate surplus food to those who need it most. Supermarkets upload a description of their unsold food to the app and a local, linked charity gets a notification that food can be collected. FoodCloud already has partners from big name brands such as Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Waitrose and more. By 2017, FoodCloud had already enabled 2,528 tonnes of food to be donated to over 1,100 charities in the UK and Ireland.
Founded in 2015, Olio connects neighbours and encourages them to pass around food that is not needed and therefore would have to be thrown away. This includes food nearing its use-by date, spare vegetables or leftover food in your fridge that would become out of date when you go on holiday. Users simply snap a photo of their leftover food and see if any neighbours would like the items instead. Neighbours can even receive customised alerts and can request anything they need, with pick-up arranged via private messaging.
Kitche is an ideal app to not only help prevent food waste, but also to assist users with ways to use leftovers, as well as giving dinner ideas. Co-founder Alex Vlassopulos designed the app based on how he manages his own kitchen – by planning meals based on what needs eating first.
The free app allows users to create meals and use up leftover ingredients by filtering and selecting ingredients that they have left and suggesting recipes that can be made from them. Users can even shop more efficiently by taking a photo of your supermarket receipt and the Kitche app will help keep track of the food you have at home. It ensures you never accidentally purchase something at the store you already have at home.
All these apps offer handy and easy ways to help reduce food waste – whether that be your own household excesses or helping restaurants reduce theirs. These apps provide winwin solutions to many as it saves money and resources, helps feed the hungry, and is much better for the environment.
Launched in 2007, Executive Hire Show has become the unmissable national exhibition for tools, equipment, and plant hire industries.
This year’s event took place on 8th and 9th February.
As a trade-only event open to hire executives throughout the UK and Ireland, it also attracts visitors from Europe and beyond. Senior executives from the procurement and purchasing departments of national hire operations attend the Show, along with large numbers of independently owned entrepreneurial hire outlets.
Future Waste took part in this year’s event. It presented us with the opportunity to meet with some of the big companies that focus on waste management, many pursuing low-emission solutions and sustainability goals.
The MHM Group led the discussion in sustainable equipment, lowemission solutions for the hire, plant, and tool sectors. The company has participated at the event for 10 years in a row. They promoted power, fluid storage and lighting solutions with the MGTP 10 USY-Stage 5 taking centre stage as the first 10kva ultra-silent generator. Their director stated that their mission is to support businesses with their eco initiatives by offering lower-emission solutions to the plant hire and construction sector. MHM is committed to persuading hire industries to become greener as well as looking for different ways to create energy.
Future Waste took part in this year’s event. It presented us with the opportunity to meet with some of the big companies that focus on waste management
SANY UK also presented their new machinery which included the SY19E, an electric excavator. A zero emissions vehicle, the battery has been designed to be more environmentally friendly and easier to use, while also being a quieter machine reducing noise pollution with better operator comfort. It has a builtin electric motor that delivers a peak output of 15kW along with an efficient load-sensing hydraulic system for an easier and faster workflow.
Obart has attended the Executive Hire Show without interruption since 1975. Obart Pumps demonstrated its achievement in reducing its carbon footprint, with a video highlighting how their Tsurumi pumps are designed
to be easily repaired to extend their working life as well as reducing the production of waste. The company was founded back in 1972 by ‘Jack’ Hill as the sales outlet for Campbell-Gray Plant Hire. Obart was recently purchased by Tsurumi Europe GmbH, and they are now the UK subsidiary and suppliers of Tsurumi pumps in the UK. This arrangement aims to further develop the Tsurumi brand in the UK, to offer a wider range of products and increase the technical consultation capabilities. This year’s Executive Hire Show included the Innovation Trail, which proved very popular with manufacturers and suppliers. Peter Haddock hosted live interviews with the candidates
on their stands, talking to companies such as GGR, Kerridge, Post Pullers and more. The Innovation Trail had a renewed focus on equipment that uses new power sources and sustainable technologies or improves efficiency and environmental impact. The Innovation Trail concept remains as viable and vital as ever, exploring new technologies, more sustainable energy sources and showcasing equipment that helps to push the net-zero agenda. Products fitting this criteria, had been launched since February 2022 and were all vetted by an independent panel of hire industry experts.
We look forward to next year’s Executive Hire Show.
ew research has revealed that 99%* of businesses in the
UK either don’t know about or if they do, have little or no understanding of the fast-approaching Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Environmental Act which plans to make it a legal requirement in England for companies to recycle food waste. Something that clearly needs to change.
Food waste recycling is mandatory in Scotland and has been since 2016, which means any business that’s operating and producing more than 5kg of food waste per week has a legal obligation to recycle by a registered waste carrier service.
This is what the English legislation
99% 27% 38%
(proposed to be introduced in 2023) looks likely to enforce, meaning most businesses should be looking to become more educated about food waste recycling and its benefits towards creating a more circular economy. Yet, due to time constraints, lack of awareness and understanding and multiple priorities when it comes to reducing a business’s carbon footprint, there are thousands of companies with little insight and no food waste recycling provision in play.
Here, Grant Keenan, managing director at Keenan Recycling, www.keenanrecyclng.co.uk, one of the country’s leading food recyclers and who conducted the research, attempts to demystify food waste recycling in a bid to reach more companies that could benefit from servicing their surplus.
of UK businesses either don’t know about or if they do, have little or no understanding of DEFRA Environmental Act
of UK businesses said they do not recycle food waste at all
of UK businesses do not think food waste is a core priority
A 2021 UN report showed that the UK produces around 5.2million tonnes of food waste a year, so it’s obvious to say that waste is a country-wide problem and food recycling is a large part of the solution.
For private households, food waste awareness is growing in pace thanks to initiatives, schemes and even apps that facilitate the collection of still edible food waste as well as gradually moving away from a rigid approach to best before dates and visually perfect produce. However, for businesses the situation is still more complex.
Therefore, making any business wise to the many benefits of recycling its food waste by sharing the how, what and why might aid in quicker adoption.
So, what is business food waste? It’s the food that is intended for human consumption that is wasted and lost. It can occur anywhere within the entire supply chain from farm stage to harvest right through to consumer household.
When it comes to businesses it can be restaurants generating lots of waste food everyday through to large-scale offices that may only have left over lunch or canteen scraps –it’s very diverse.
But in general, most commercial food waste recyclers will collect all types of food waste.
Typically, for those businesses that sit within the hospitality and food sector it’s a no brainer - they will more than likely
already have a supplier in play. This may not be a specific food recycler though, and it has to be stated that, separating food waste from other waste streams will also prevent contamination of other waste, helping with recycling of all the other materials a business may need to service. So, even if organisations in these sectors have a recycling supplier, it could be more beneficial for the business and the environment to split food waste out.
As said, food waste is everything from employee lunch left-overs through to waste products of industrial food production. Any organisation that has a large-scale workforce and onsite kitchens or food services will likely need a food waste recycling provision.
At the moment, businesses are only asked that their food waste is securely and safely stored and it’s hygienically disposed of, ensuring no cross-contamination with fresh food preparation, with no stipulation that it must be recycled. Soon though, potentially in 2023, it’s likely that an Environmental Act driven by DEFRA, will mandate the use of food waste recycling.
This is why there has never been a better time to look at your business’ operating practices and introduce simple, easy measures that mean that you are sustainably and legally secure in your food waste policy.
UK businesses are spending £50,862 sending their food waste to landfill
It’s not a surprise that commercial food waste recycling works in a slightly different manner to how consumers practice it at home.
Many people will compost at home or rely on their council to collect food waste in provided recycling bins, however as you may have experienced not all food waste can be placed into such containers. Items such as potato skin and vegetable peel are more than welcome, whereas animal products such as meat and dairy can be turned away and would need specific treatment.
When it comes to commercial business waste, recycling service providers will help sidestep these complications as they have access to a grander scale of processing facilities. Part of the Keenan service is to provide a free waste audit for a business to work out the number and size of bins required. These are then delivered to site ready for organisations to simply fill them up and place in the agreed location and time, and pay for collection.
Recyclers that solely focus on food waste, like Keenan, that collect surplus from offices, restaurants, food processors, supermarkets, and other businesses, have specific equipment that enables food waste to be put through a de-packaging pre-treatment. The process utilises turbo separator technology combined with water injection to maximise the separation of organic materials from packaging. The packaging comes out clean ready for disposal, or further recycling. The organic materials recovered are then liquidised and blended, into a ‘porridge like’ consistency, otherwise known as biofuel.
This biofuel is transported by tankers and is then loaded into Anaerobic Digester tanks, in which it is broken down by anaerobic bacteria over time. This usually takes around 40 days, and may change depending on the AD plant. During this breakdown, methane is produced by the activity of the bacteria. This methane is extracted from the digester and is
known as biogas. This biogas can be used for electricity, gas to grid, heating, or even as biomethane for transport.
Once this process is complete, a by-product is left behind, called digestate. Digestate is the fibrous material left over from the food waste, which is then removed and spread to agricultural land as a fertiliser.
So, all in all, there is a lot of good that comes from food waste recycling.
At the moment, UK businesses are only asked that their food waste is securely and safely stored and it’s hygienically disposed of
Simply put, by recycling your food waste, you can save some money, help the environment, grow your business’s credentials and reduce your carbon footprint.
The alternative to recycling your food waste is to put it in general waste, which gets sent to landfill, there it rots down anaerobically and produces methane (a greenhouse gas) which is 21 times more harmful to the environment than CO2. The long-term outlook too is that landfill costs are becoming increasingly expensive – a cost which of course has to be picked up by a business.
Recycling your food waste can also help boost the image of your company. Businesses which embed sustainability within their day-to-day operations are better placed to take advantage of the rise in customer expectation.
Furthermore, taking ownership of your own waste helps minimise demand on already-spread food chains and makes them more sustainable and it will help any business and its staff to minimise costs through greater efficiency.
With pending legislative change and pressure for organisations to make public their own net zero plans, food recycling will be key to how commercial operations function sustainably in the future, the best time to become involved with it is now.
Furthermore, it has to be said again, that separating food waste from other waste streams will also prevent contamination of other waste helping with recycling of all the other materials a business may need to service.
In the recent research conducted by Keenan, it was revealed that on average businesses were spending over £50,862 sending their food waste to landfill, whereas when they were asked about how much they spent on recycling food waste per year the answer was £43,866.34.
Grant Keenan, added: “If I were to say to you, I’ll save you nearly £7,000 for your business tomorrow, I’m sure there would be lots of things that, as a business owner, you could do with that money. That figure represents the average amount a business could save from opting to recycle than send their food waste to landfill.
“A lot of people think it sounds too good to be true, some are time poor and don’t have the time to understand the real benefits recycling can bring both financially and to wider business sustainability goals and net zero plans.
“At Keenan we simplify the surplus process and take a lot of the leg work away from busy businesses.
“Something that sets us apart is that we’re completely transparent and we give our clients full data of their food waste as we weigh each bin we collect. What this means is that they can clearly demonstrate their carbon emission savings and it gives them real data for their own net zero plans.
“For us, building trust and working in partnership is the most important part of the process, we hope that by debunking some of the myths surrounding food waste recycling, many more businesses across the country will opt to start today and save some money in the process.”
“If I were to say to you, I’ll save you nearly £7,000 for your business tomorrow, I’m sure there would be lots of things that, as a business owner, you could do with that money”
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By making the most of the food they buy
UK HOUSEHOLDERS could unlock a long weekend of free time a year – by embracing Food Waste Action Week’s ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ theme.
JORDAN BANJO joins forces with Love Food Hate Waste to help households to reduce their food waste.
TO MARK THIS YEAR’S WEEK OF ACTION, Love Food Haste Waste is calling time on food waste by using a giant egg timer to bring to life the time people could get back by using up their uneaten food – saving them money as well.
To mark the third annual Food Waste Action Week, which launched on 6 March, new research from Love Food Hate Waste has revealed that time-strapped people could get back 2 ½ days a year by using up uneaten food.1 This equates to treating ourselves to a weekend away with friends or family or having enough time to binge-watch a whole series of Love Island and still having ‘me’ time to go to the gym or out for a long walk!
According to a poll of 2,000 adults, the nation dedicates an average of five hours a week to preparing and cooking food, but a quarter (24%)2 often feel they waste their time doing this when so much of it ends up in the bin. In fact, WRAP data suggests a whopping 25% of the food we cook ends up wasted because we
1 2.5 days saving calculated as follows:
Average minutes spent cooking/preparing food per HH = 44.3
Average minutes spent reheating leftovers per HH = 7.1
Average HH generates leftovers from meals twice a week
‘prepare, cook or serve too much’.3
If given those hours back, people said they would spend the time reading (38%), enjoying well deserved ‘me time’ (35%) or with their family and friends (31%).
The poll also revealed that a whopping 80% of people feel guilty about throwing food away and 70% would be more likely to use their leftovers if they could turn them into something tasty. People also said they were using energy-efficient microwaves (78%), slow cookers (26%) and air fryers (23%) more often to save money. And with meals generally taking just seven minutes to re-heat on average, Love Food Hate Waste is calling on the nation to ‘Win. Don’t Bin.’
44.3-7.1=37.2mins people can get back if they simply reheat their uneaten food and not cook from scratch. Based on the same figure and the average meal leftovers per typical week which is 2 per HH, we can also say that people could save more than 70 minutes a week by simply reheating those meals.
70 mins x 52 weeks = 3,640 mins a year = 60.6 hours = 2.52 days
2 All statistics, unless otherwise referenced, taken from nationally representative OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK adults undertaken on behalf of WRAP, 15-17 February 2023.
3 https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/food-%20surplus-and-%20waste-in-the-%20uk-key-facts-oct-21.pdf
“As a dad of two (with a third on the way) I can absolutely relate to not having enough hours in the day.
As much as I love cooking, it can be time consuming and Love Food Hate Waste has shown that it’s not just excess food going into the bin, but also people’s time and money! In fact, almost half of us say we spend more time cooking than we’d like to.
That’s why I am delighted to support Love Food Hate Waste on this year’s Food Waste Action Week and share advice that can help the nation to minimise food waste.
It’s probably fair to say that no-one enjoys throwing food away but luckily, it’s not difficult to re-purpose your uneaten food and get that little bit of life back to spend with your family doing something you love.”
WRAP estimates 4.5 million tonnes of food that could have been eaten is wasted every year from our homes – worth around £14 billion (or £60 a month for an average family with children)1. Not only is this bad for the planet, but it also leaves a considerable dent in people’s pocketswith food inflation now running at over 16%5. Two-thirds (66%) of people who completed the poll noticed the cost of their food bill has gone up considerably in recent months, reporting price to be the most important factor for them when doing their food shopping.
So, to help get the nation to make the most of the food it buys, Love Food Hate Waste has teamed up with TV personality and champion of eating well on a budget, Jordan Banjo, to share easy kitchen hacks to make mouth-watering meals that will pay us back in time, cost - and taste.
4 https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/ food-%20surplus-and-%20waste-in-the-%20ukkey-facts-oct-21.pdf
5 CPIH annual and monthly inflation rates January 2023. ONS.gov.uk
2
To inspire the 87% of people who feel wasting food is a waste of money, Love Food Hate Waste’s top tips for easily and safely enjoying our food again with minimal effort include:
1
MAKE YOUR FREEZER YOUR FRIEND. You can safely freeze most leftovers; label and date them so you know what’s in there.
STORE LEFTOVER PORTIONS SAFELY. Cover and store in the fridge and use within two days.
3 DEFROST SAFELY defrost extra portions in the fridge or microwave and reheat until your food is piping hot.
4
COOK A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THE NEXT DAY –WHO SAYS THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH! Enjoy a quick, easy and tasty me-time meal, saving yourself all the preparation and cooking time!
JACKIE BAILEY, LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE CAMPAIGN MANAGER, SAID: “In our busy lives, many of us wish we had more time. One simple way around this is to use up those extra portions we often seem to have; a simple solution that could help you get some life back and turn food we’ve already cooked into a second delicious meal!
For this year’s Food Waste Action Week, we’re encouraging the nation to follow ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ and highlighting the very real benefits that using up your uneaten food can have on your pockets, your personal time and the planet.
Even more importantly, at a time of rising food prices, tackling food waste at home is one way we can all make a difference - and help save money.”
RESOURCES AND WASTE MINISTER REBECCA POW SAID: “Every year UK households waste 4.5 million tonnes of food that could have been eaten. This costs the average family an astonishing £60 per month – a terrible waste of money - and has a massive environmental impact. The government has taken positive action on this issue and the amount of wasted food has fallen. However more needs to be done to tackle this critical issue, which is why I am supporting this year’s Food Waste Action Week. As a government we are committed to halving food waste by 2030, and we can all make a difference by taking simple steps at home to cut down how much food we throw away.”
LORNA SLATER, MINISTER FOR GREEN SKILLS, CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND BIODIVERSITY IN SCOTLAND SAID: “I am pleased to help promote Food Waste Action Week in Scotland and bring awareness to the ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ campaign. We can all make changes at an individual, household, business and community-level and ‘Win. Don’t Bin’ is one step we can take to reduce our food waste in Scotland. We know we need to take more steps to reduce our food waste and that is why the Scottish Government is collaborating with Zero Waste Scotland to make sure we are targeting key behaviours that will deliver results. We are working towards reducing our food waste by one third by 2025, and we are working towards a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.”
In 2023 Love Food Hate Waste once more worked with partners around the globe to make this FWAW an international week of activities. Partners supported the campaign from countries including Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and USA Love Food Hate Waste is grateful too for the support of some of the UK’s largest retailers and food brands who have provided sponsorship to help amplify the week: including Arla Foods, Danone, Kenwood, Lidl, Ocado, Panasonic UK and Tesco. TO
JULIE JAMES, MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN WALES SAID: “Reducing food waste can have a big impact on our carbon emissions and help tackle climate change. We know the people of Wales want to continue their good work with Wales being the third best country in the World for recycling, and this campaign will help further this by highlighting and educating people how to reduce their food waste.”
A former Cornwall art, design and technology teacher is turning her passion for creativity into a new business that transforms beach and leisure waste into unique handmade accessories.
Aformer Cornwall art, design and technology teacher is turning her passion for creativity into a new business that transforms beach and leisure waste into unique handmade accessories.
Kate Doran gives old wetsuits, inflatables and inner tubes that may
otherwise end up in landfill a new lease of life by upcycling them into amazing one-of-a-kind objects such as bags, purses and mouse mats.
The 38-year-old, from Mount Hawke near Redruth, left her classroom career to launch Flotsam Flo after suffering a brain haemorrhage that made her reevaluate her life and priorities.
Named in memory of her late grandmother Flo – Kate’s business is going from strength to strength.
It received the Judges Commendation Award in the ‘circular economy’ category at the 2022 Cornwall Sustainability Awards, while Biffa has gifted her a large office to use as a studio at its recycling depot in Redruth after she outgrew her current workshop. Kate is also supported by a business mentor.
And she now has even more access to the material she needs following the placement of Flotsam Flo-branded wheelie bins at several holiday park sites. Items she makes will then be sold in the park shops. Her products can also be found in online shop Etsy.
Kate said: “After my brain haemorrhage in 2019, I decided life was too short not to do things you truly love. It changed my whole perception and outlook on life.
“I’ve lived in Cornwall all my life, so looking after nature and the environment have always been very important to me. I used to sew as a kid, worked with reclaimed fabrics at uni, and taught textiles at school, so decided to combine everything into a new venture.
“I started off using material I found, and then reached out to the local community on social media and people began sending me items to practice with, and it’s just grown from there.
“This time last year I was making things but didn’t know how to run a business. Now I have an amazing mentor, Clive Kessell, and a wonderful new studio at Biffa in Redruth. I really can’t thank everyone enough for their support.
“Everything that’s happening right
now is just incredible. My gran’s not with us anymore, but I think she would be really proud.”
Kate will be giving demonstrations of her work at the Royal Cornwall Show in June.
Peter Giddings, Biffa’s General Manager for Cornwall, said: “I’ve been in the waste and recycling industry for 25 years, and supporting Kate has been one of the highlights of my career.
“We share the same vision of a world
where waste is re-used or recycled as much as possible, so it made perfect sense for us to work together more closely; but I still can’t quite grasp how she can look at a wetsuit and visualise what she’s going to turn it into!
“Some of the items she makes would not look out-of-place in a high-end department store. They’re that good. I’ve never seen anything like it. She’s truly inspirational.”
If you are a resident of Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council from August last year you will have started to see new vehicles doing their weekly rounds collecting food waste
This also applies to many other areas in the country where Severn Trent Green Power have contracts to collect household food waste
Residents have been provided with a small 7 litre caddy and a larger 23 litre external food waste bin. The
small caddy is designed to be kept in the kitchen for collecting food waste, which can then be transferred into the external food waste bin for collection. The external food bin is designed to
be stored outside and has a lockable lid to contain any smells and prevent vermin getting in. The food waste is collected every week which will also helps to prevent smells.
“The new food waste recycling service makes it easy for people to recycle their food waste every week”
Cllr Ian Shenton, of Stratford District Council Climate Change Portfolio
This is a change from the previous collection service in this area where food waste could be put in the garden waste bin as part of the subscription service.
Cllr Ian Shenton, of Stratford District Council Climate Change Portfolio says: “The new food waste recycling service makes it easy for people to recycle their food waste every week. This helps remove any smelly waste from refuse bins and leaves more space for other rubbish.
“It is also helping people realise how much food they waste each week and hopefully act as a prompt to reduce avoidable food waste, such as making the most of leftovers, planning meals and creating shopping lists and storing food correctly.”
UK households waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, 4.5 million of which is edible. The average family of four can save over £60 per month by reducing their food waste.
Cllr Shenton, continued: “Since
August 2022 we ceased collecting food and garden waste togetherthis is now collected separately. It is much cheaper to compost garden waste if it is separated from cooked and raw food waste. Food waste has to be treated at much higher temperatures to kill any pathogens that could spread infections on farms.
“While being a change from the old service, residents are adapting to this variation of the new service, whilst still maintaining a weekly food waste collection service.
“Recycling as much as possible will help reduce waste, protect the environment and help us tackle climate change. We can put your waste materials to good use, and we have a legal requirement to recycle as much household waste as we reasonably can. It costs money to collect and dispose of the waste in your grey bin. Recycling all that you can helps to keep Council Tax down.”
Food waste collected from households in the district is taken to
an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility in Coleshill, North Warwickshire operated by Severn Trent Green Power, the UK’s largest producer of renewable energy from food waste.
Anaerobic digestion is the process by which organic matter such as food waste is broken down to produce biogas that can power 60,000 homes in the UK and a nutrient-rich liquid biofertilizer for farmland to help grow the fruit and vegetables that end up back on our plates. This process happens in the absence of oxygen
in a sealed oxygen-free tank call an anaerobic digester.
Mark Barnfield, Commercial & Public Sector Manager at Severn Trent Green Power, said: “As one of the leading food waste recycling businesses in the UK we are delighted to have been awarded this contract with Warwickshire County Council to provide the residents of Warwickshire with a sustainable recycling solution for their food waste.”
Councillor Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture at Warwickshire County
Council said: “This new partnership with Severn Trent Green Power is a further demonstration of this Council’s commitment to doing everything it can to reduce its carbon impact on the rapidly changing climate. Not only does this provide a solution to increase the proportion of food waste collected for recycling from households in Stratford and Warwick, it, also produces a large amount of totally renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser for our farmers.”
As one of the largest food waste recyclers in the country, a quarter of all UK household’s collected food waste, and around 12% of commercial collected food waste, is sent to our AD facilities.
Whether you’re a food waste producer, collector, or Local Authority, they can provide you with a sustainable and quality food waste recycling service that’s cost effective and helps you reduce the impact your operations have on the environment.
In fact, we’ve been refining our processes for more than a decade now, which means you can benefit from the highest quality and most reliable service across our eight food waste Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities in the UK, as well as our award-winning industry experience and knowledge.
We currently work with more than 45 local authorities, plus many waste collection businesses, catering outlets, food manufacturers and retailers. All our sites have robust de-packaging systems, which means we can accept a wide variety of food wastes containing various types of primary and secondary packaging.
Plastic has been used for food packaging for decades. Since the plastic packaging tax businesses are rethinking their packaging strategies to avoid charges.
The packaging tax has been introduced by the government with the purpose of reducing plastic production and to encourage the use of more recyclable packaging.
Plastic is bad for the environment; not only does it create pollution and affect animals in and out of water, but it also doesn’t degrade for thousands of years so it is clear to see the impact it has on the planet. Food packaging plastic is made from crude oil, a fuel which is dangerous for the environment.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used for drinking bottles, ready meals and trays, and are the most common thermoplastics used for packaging. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is used to manufacture plastic milk bottles that require more protection, while polypropylene (PP) is also used for trays and salad bowls in some instances.
We ingest thousands of tiny plastic particles every year taken from microplastics that are in our foods and drinks.
‘Plastic is bad for the environment; not only does it create pollution and affect animals in and out of water, but it also doesn’t degrade for thousands of years’
There are many different alternatives to plastic, and they can be used in different ways to protect the environment. Cardboard, for instance, is normally made from recycled materials and can be reused. It is a material that can easily be recycled. There is also paper made from natural and sustainable resources which is perfect for takeaway bags and shopping bags. And then there is bioplastic. A greener way to use plastic, it is derived from plant-base materials that degrade naturally during time. Glass is a great option for storage and is a more sustainable material than plastic, making it an effective alternative.
The world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year. Plastic production disposal contributes about 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually creating a global issue. Most food packaging is designed to be used only once and not recycled, and a large amount of this plastic will end up in the sea. In the Pacific Ocean there is a plastic dumping ground called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Supermarkets make a big contribution towards it, accounting for 2.41metric tonnes of plastic entering the sea every year.
It is imperative to take urgent action to reduce the impact of plastic packaging on the environment. In the UK, plastic packaging accounts for nearly 70% of all plastic waste and supermarkets have now started to find a better solution to reduce the amount of plastic used.
It is not always an easy solution to reduce packaging, there are lots of different decisions to make and options to choose from and it could take years.
The UK missed on its target to recycle 50% by 2020. This was largely attributed to lockdown keeping people at home which led to more household waste – that figure jumped to 22.6 million tonnes from 22.1 million.
Forty percent of the demand for plastic is generated by single-use plastic products. Single-use plastics — such as cups, lids and straws for coffee, or water bottles— are all designed to be used only once before being thrown away or recycled, with no obvious plan or pathway for reuse. Some single-use items are essential and have made things not only convenient, but safer. Let’s take the plastic water bottle as an example, a million of which are bought across the globe every minute. In places where the water supply is not reliable or safe, of course, bottled water can be lifesaving. But for many people in this country, bottled water is more about convenience, and our susceptibility to the claims of the companies promoting bottled water; advertising that it comes from fresh mountain springs or offers unspecified health benefits.
‘The world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year’
Persuading packaging professionals to reduce the use of plastic and use more cost-effective methodology is hard. But awareness and progress are being made thanks to several worldwide plastic packaging directives being put into place with an aim to educate global companies.
In April 2022, the UK Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced as a proactive way to encourage producers to switch to environmentally friendly materials and improve recyclability. Any plastic which contains less than 30% of recycled plastic will have a levy applied. The cost is £200 per tonne of packaging. All producers and importers of plastic packaging are obliged to register with HMRC and failure to do so will incur even more financial penalties.
Creating
Come and see us at RWM & Letsrecycle Live 2022
R-N184, near to the Packaging Theatre.
a truly sustainable world by conserving finite resources.
