This is the conclusion of one of the first reports in the UK directly comparing the use of home food waste digesting systems with centralised collection schemes.
” Costs are better than half the average for segregated collection and centralised treatment.“
– Independent consultant Dr Alan Knipe
Independent consultant Dr Alan Knipe suggests in the report that if the two million households already using home composters for their green waste used food waste digesters, 500,000 tonnes more waste would be diverted from landfill.
“Based upon the 10% of UK households using food waste digesters,” he said in the report, “between 10 and 25 centralised treatment facilities need not be constructed and there would be potential cost savings of in excess of 20 million a year.”
And, with increasing numbers of householders using home composters, the savings could be even higher.
Allowances
Dr Knipe's report came as Defra considers proposals from WRAP to amend its landfill allowance scheme to push councils to get householders to compost food waste at home where possible.
The landfill allowance scheme threatens councils that landfill too much biodegradable waste with stiff financial penalties. But, Dr Knipe said its current form means councils are actively encouraged not to promote home composting, including the treatment of food waste at home.
Dr Knipe said of using food waste digester schemes: “Costs are better than half the average for segregated collection and centralised treatment, which should improve by 30-40% once WRAP and Defra resolve the anomaly with the existing landfill allowance formula.”
He added that cost savings through using food waste digester programmes would be greatest for rural councils, particularly with rising oil prices.
Digesters
Generally, food waste digesters use solar power to help heat a small chamber, speeding up the decomposition of food waste. Reference systems can dispose of 5kg of food waste each week, with material turned into carbon dioxide, water and a small amount of residue that would need removal after a few years' operation.
Food waste digesters vary in size, form and price, but have already been used in England and Scotland including in Guildford, Cornwall, West Sussex, Moray and Aberdeenshire. Defra and WRAP are currently carrying out trials of different systems.
Dr Knipe estimated that putting in place a centralised collection and treatment system would cost councils on average up to 80 per tonne, whereas a household food waste digester scheme would cost closer to 25 per tonne.
With both systems, he noted, widespread public education programme would be necessary.
Green Cone
John Cockram, managing director of Green Cone, a manufacturer of home food digester systems, welcomed Dr Knipe's report and the government's consideration of the landfill allowances formula.
He said: “Dr Knipe's report is the first comprehensive comparison of the household treatment of food waste and the alternative approach of centralised collection and treatment.
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“More than 85% of the estimated 12 million tonnes of garden and household food waste currently collected in the UK goes untreated,” he added. “Unless we move to more extensive use of domestic food waste digesters, several hundred centralised facilities will have to be built and commissioned in the UK by 2020 to enable councils to meet landfill targets.
“Surely it would make more sense to seek to reduce the amount of waste generated at source – in the family kitchen,” Mr Cockram added.
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