Are you Food Smart?
Thu, November 16, 2017
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council collected over 4255 tonnes of food and garden material last year.
Instead of going to landfill, it was transformed into a nutrient rich compost which offers financial and environmental benefits. Plans are in place to extend food collection services across the Borough next year, which will help to ensure that more biodegradable material is diverted from the black bin.
On average, a third of the contents of our black bins is food waste. Given the high cost of food, this is an expensive waste of money and resources. The average UK family throws away the equivalent of £700 worth of food every year. As food decomposes in landfill, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are released. The liquid run off (leachate) can cause disastrous damage to rivers and watercourses if not effectively contained and treated. All of these impacts require significant effort and expenditure to neutralise so keeping food out of the black bin is the best protection.
Ideally, all food that we buy should be eaten. We can reduce food waste by thinking carefully about just how much food we need, correctly storing food, rotating stocks and using leftovers in other meals and recipes. Considerable resources are employed to grow, harvest, process and transport food to our tables. Throwing food in the bin is a costly waste of all these resources. The most efficient way to deal with unwanted food is through a composting collection via a food caddy or brown bin collection.
We can produce compost at home with a garden composter. This is a good example of localised resource management. However, to eliminate risks from bacteria and pathogens, cooked food must be treated in purpose built composting facilities. Peelings along with fruit and vegetables can be composted along with garden materials in the garden composter but cooked food, meat and dairy must be treated either by anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting. Currently, food collected both separately and mixed with garden materials is treated through an in-vessel system by New World Products in Belfast. Collected materials are stored in large sheds where they are regularly mixed by mechanical diggers. Feed material, temperature, and nutrient levels are monitored to ensure compliance with BSI PAS 100 government standards for compost. The process may take up to six months but ensures a dependable, safe product which is ready for use by the public.
For further information on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Food Smart food waste reduction initiative and composting go to www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling or ring 028 7776 0305.