Vincent Igoe, general manager of organic waste collector Olleco in Scotland, looks at the issue of food waste in the catering and hospitality sector and how Scotland is leading the UK in tackling this important issue.
It has been three months since the introduction of the biggest piece of legislation to affect Scottish restaurants and catering kitchens. Is it time now that the rest of the UK be undertaking similar regulation to get its food waste issues under control?
The introduction of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations changed how kitchens north of the border dispose of their waste. Those producing over 50kg of food waste must now segregate this from dry and recyclable waste. Although there are some exceptions, this change affects almost every commercial kitchen in Scotland.
It is estimated that in 2008 alone, the UK sent 288.6million tonnes of waste to landfill, of which 2.671million tonnes was produced by the hotel and catering industry. The good news is that this number is 11.3 per cent down on 2004’s figure and that our industry estimates that it recycles 45 per cent of its waste already.
Waste to landfill
Before the introduction of the new Regulation, Scottish businesses were paying out £95million in taxes sending waste to landfill each year. This cost increases by £8 per tonne every year and will reach £80 per tonne by next month (April 2014). The amount of total waste going to landfill has reduced already; from 16 million tonnes in 1994, to 4.5 million tonnes in 2010 as part of the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan which proposes a long-term target of recycling 70% of all Scotland’s waste.
As yet there is no regulatory requirement for kitchens in England and Wales to change their waste management other than the amendment by DEFRA to the 2011 Waste (England and Wales) Regulation to ensure that collection authorities must separate waste paper, metal, plastic and glass by 2015. Compared to the efforts being made by the Scottish Government, this seems a weak attempt to tackle the huge issue of waste, with no consideration to the costly issue of food waste in the UK.
Food waste generates power
The Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IME) reported that last year almost half of food worldwide is wasted throughout the supply chain. Sending food waste to landfill is throwing away a valuable resource. As food waste degrades it produces methane, which has a high calorific value and stores the potential to generate power. It is this powerful resource that Olleco collects and recycles, via anaerobic digestion, to create power, which is fed back to the National Grid.
Sound financial reasons to recycle food waste
Whilst there remains no legal imperative to recycle food waste, there are sound financial reasons to do so. Management might initially grumble about the fact that they have to invest in new facilities and training in order to manage the separation of organic waste, but this initial investment will soon be off-set by the savings achieved through increased recycling and better sustainability management. In reducing the amount of food waste produced via reduced stock orders, a reduction in the level of food waste from better portion control and reduced waste collection costs.
Already working with hundreds of Scotland’s kitchens to collect used cooking oil and deliver fresh oil, Olleco has invested heavily in providing the required waste collection vehicles to cover the whole country and is rolling out new bins the length and breadth of Scotland to make sure their clients remain compliant.
Costs can mount up quickly for those organisations in Scotland that haven’t yet become compliant. They face penalties for contaminated bins and further fees for extra uplifts to collect their non-organic waste from their current dry waste contractor. In addition, SEPA has confirmed that, should they prosecute an individual or company, they will be able to claim up to £10,000 in fines.
Change brings savings
The feedback from the kitchens in Scotland is that the change can bring savings. If the average kitchen there currently has a single 1,100 litre general waste bin collected five times a week at a cost of £11.09 per collection – they will pay £55.45 a week. In Scotland, the kitchen is also likely to face higher charges from their waste collector for contaminating their dry waste with food matter. However, should that same kitchen segregate their waste e.g. three collections of a mixed recycling bin at £6.25 a lift, two uplifts of a 240 litre food waste bin at £8 per collection, and only one uplift of a general waste bin at £11.25. This new collection regime would see that same kitchen only paying £46 a week on uplifts – saving almost £500 over a year. The same calculations, minus the fines for contaminated waste, could be applied to kitchens in England and Wales.
Scotland’s restaurants alone produce over 1million tonnes of waste food which is currently going to landfill; it is estimated that if all eligible kitchens apply the new Regulations, this number could be cut by 95%. Imagine what the figure could be if the kitchens of England and Wales adopted similar food waste management practices. Food waste being sent to landfill would fall sharply.
Space requirements
Inner-city businesses with restricted space need not worry about space requirements as the business is not producing more waste; it is simply sorting its waste – so needs different bins. By rationalising the size of the containers, kitchens can use the same space and reduce the amount that is uplifted and often the frequency too.
Rest of UK to follow Scotland’s lead
The long-term future plan on waste management should see the rest of the UK following the lead of the Scottish legislation introduction. This will not only prevent the majority of waste food ending up in landfill, it will also save restaurant owners money, as well as contribute towards the business’ Corporate Social Responsibility targets.
As leaders in organic waste recycling, Olleco sees energy, where others see waste. Their core belief is that everything has value and nothing should be wasted. They realise the potential of organic waste by converting it into renewable energy. Everything that Olleco collect is recycled in some way; nothing goes to landfill.
To find out how to save money by managing organic waste click here