– The Issue Estimates of food waste Number of outlets Total food waste Total cost Sector with food service 1000 tonnes £m Restaurants 40,958 199 682 Pubs 45,087 173 357 Education 34,744 123 250 Healthcare 19,257 121 230 Hotels 45,763 79 318 Quick service restaurants 31,450 76 277 Services 2,029 68 112 Leisure 9,255 60 241 Staff catering 7,172 21 44 UK HaFS total 235,715 920 2,511 Source: WRAP 2013 1
Political environment Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (Waste Framework Directive) The Directive introduced the "polluter pays principle" and the "extended producer responsibility". It included new recycling and recovery targets to be achieved by 2020, including 50% re ‐ use or recycling. The Directive requires that Member States adopt waste management plans and waste prevention programmes. – WRAP & ZeroWasteScotland – HaFS Voluntary Agreement Traditional methods of disposal of food waste Pig bins – Foot & mouth crisis 2001 – EU ban on feeding of catering food waste to pigs – Campaign to reintroduce pig bins (The Pig Idea) 2
Traditional methods of disposal of food waste • Waste disposal units ‐ food waste to drainage – FOG (fats, oil and grease) • Landfill – Landfill taxation – Greenhouse gases 3
The Waste Hierarchy Source: DEFRA Legislation England • No ban on landfill ‐ taxation to be used as incentive to avoid sending biodegradable waste to landfill (Dan Rogers, Resource Minister, interview 30/01/14) Scotland • The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 – commercial food waste to be collected separately from other waste (exceptions: low volume producers and rural areas) Construction of new anaerobic digestion plants Wales • Currently undertaking consultation Northern Ireland • Currently undertaking consultation 4
Issues and challenges facing foodservice operators • Customer expectation • Excessive portions and “value offers” • Accurate assessment of food waste produced • Cost of food waste disposal • Storage of biohazards • Space and workflows in existing kitchens • Methodology of disposal Issues and challenges facing foodservice operators • Doggy bags are for dogs, they are not a takeaway • “Still good to go”……..who decides? • Exceeding ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates • One day, two, three ‐ who decides? • Who is responsible in the event of a food poisoning incident? • We all have a responsibility to reduce waste, but… 5
Issues and challenges facing foodservice operators Never compromise food safety to reduce food waste Sources of food waste in the food service sector Spoilage 21% Preparation 45% Plate waste 34% Source: WRAP 2013 6
Issues and challenges facing foodservice design • Food system to be used – Fresh cook ‐ serve (degree of off ‐ site preparation) – Cook ‐ chill, cook ‐ freeze • Food production method – Regeneration of cook ‐ chill/freeze – Freshly cooked prior to service – Batch cooking during service – Cooked to order • Food service style – Waited or counter service – Self ‐ help or assisted service – Portion control Issues and challenges facing foodservice design • Handling of food waste has to be designed into new facilities for the anticipated volume • Additional space requirement • Separation of food waste from food for human consumption • Workflows • Food waste handling equipment needs to be specified • Refrigerated waste storage • Increased budget and cost pressures 7
Issues and challenges facing foodservice design • Many caterers simply don’t know how much food waste they produce or what it’s made up of • Measuring food waste focuses the caterer on it and usually results in reduced levels • Physical measurement is the only accurate way to determine the volume of waste • You have to have accurate figures for food waste to deal with it in both an efficient and cost effective way Two case studies • NHS hospitals – patient meals • Staff catering – restaurant – coffee shop – hospitality 8
Research methodology ‐ patient catering • Acute hospital • Six wards chosen with different patient profiles • Various food service methods used – plated and bulk • All food waste was measured over 7 days • Research repeated on an alternative sample group of wards with the same results Statistical Range ‐ Uneaten Hospital Patient Meals Source: ERIC Returns 100 90 80 70 Number of Trusts 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 ‐ 2.5% >2.5 ‐ 5.0% >5.0 ‐ 7.5% >7.5 ‐ 10.0% >10.0 ‐ 12.5% >12.5 ‐ 15.0% >15.0 ‐ 17.5% >17.5 ‐ 20.0% >20.0 ‐ 22.5% >22.5 ‐ 25.0% >25.0 ‐ 27.5% >27.5% Percentage Uneaten Meals 9
WRAP 2013 Hospital food waste 18% Avoidable 80% Research papers 5 ‐ 60% Empirical research 39% Breakdown by Service of Daily Hospital Food Waste Breakfast 20% Supper 47% Lunch 33% 10
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• Hospital food waste is not a new issue • Hoskins (1919) – volumes and causes of food waste in hospitals – Reduce portion size – Enforce the ‘clean plate rule’ Research methodology ‐ staff catering • Week long trial • 06:00 Monday to 18:00 Friday • 100% sample size • Sources of food waste were identified separately • Quantity of each recorded • Contents analysed 12
Staff Catering ‐ Weekly volume of food waste Waste contractor figures 1000kg WRAP estimate of avoidable food waste in staff catering 71% Empirical research 293kg Actual avoidable food waste less than 40% Breakdown by Service of Staff Restaurant Food Waste Hospitality 11% Production 31% Coffee Grounds 22% Plate Waste 6% Service 30% 13
Staff Restaurant Food Waste per Day KG 80.00 70.00 60.00 Coffee 50.00 Hosp Plate 40.00 Service Production 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 14
Methods of disposal and implications On ‐ site solutions – Waste disposal units – macerators – Waste disposal units – dewaterers – Vacuum waste systems – Aerobic digestion – bio ‐ digesters – Composting 15
Waste disposal units – macerators • Traditional solution • Small footprint • Easy to use but some maintenance issues • No longer acceptable to most water companies • Issues with FOG, blocked drains and water consumption • Energy in food is lost Waste disposal units – dewaterers • Reduce volume by extracting the water content of food • Water discharged to drains • Equipment needs regular cleaning • Residue has to be stored prior to collection • Residue has to be collected and transported to a processing plant 16
Vacuum waste systems • Multiple disposal points to a central tank • Closed systems reduce biohazard of food waste • Require space for tanks, piping etc. • Some systems have a high water requirement • Residue has to be collected and disposed of Photo courtesy of Meiko 17
Aerobic digestion – bio ‐ digesters • Break down food waste using bacteria and heat • Small footprint, simple to use • Discharge grey water • No food waste storage or collection required • Do not recover energy from waste food • Need to be fed over 24 hours for maximum through ‐ put to be achieved Photo courtesy of Mechline 18
Composting • Commercial composters – Require good management – Require carbon substrates to be added – Require keeping before use – Require land to be deposited on • Domestic type composting bins – Used by some schools – Issues with location, smell, rodents and insects 19
Off ‐ site solutions • Anaerobic digestion (AD) – Waste food stored untreated in bins on site • Regular (daily or twice weekly) collections are required • Refrigerated waste stores may be needed – Waste food stored as residue in tanks • Water added to form slurry • Tanks need to be correctly sized • Adequate space has to be allocated • Frequency of collection is critical 20
Photo courtesy of Meiko Anaerobic digestion • Waste food converted into bio ‐ gas • Requires HGVs or tankers to collect • Recovered energy may not be greater than energy used in collection when the manufacture of the HGV is included • Feedstock contamination issues • Other EU countries moving away from AD • Growing crops to feed AD plants is madness 21
Pig bins • Currently illegal • Would need to be stored away from food areas • Daily collection or refrigerated storage needed • Smell and pest control issues • Unlikely to be reintroduced unless Britain leaves the European Union 22
Best practice • Wherever possible, reduce, but this may not have as much potential as WRAP believe • Do not compromise food safety or quality • Use food production management control systems, monitor food waste • Build food waste handling costs into budgets • Culture change – include food waste management in standard operating procedures Conclusion One size does not fit all. Solutions need to take account of: • Nature of waste • Volume of waste • Geographical location • Space available in the kitchen • Space available on site 23
WRAP policy statement Preventing food waste is better for the environment than any treatment, and can save money for businesses and households. Preventing and reducing food waste can contribute to improving resource efficiency and food security at a global level. 24
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