Waste Not
The Government Office for London's staff magazine – January 2006
GOL/MITIE launched a new food waste composting pilot scheme at Riverwalk House on 11 January 2006 (as well as Ashdown House and Eland House, ODPM). This scheme provides a safe, hygienic and legally compliant disposal of any food waste generated by the restaurants at the three buildings, and is in partnership with East London Community Recycling Partnership (ELCRP)
The scheme came about following physical waste audits which found that a very high proportion of non recycled waste was organic matter. Such waste was once provided to farms for use as pig swill, but this is no longer possible since the introduction of the Animal By-Products Regulations in 2003.
The system involves separating any food waste (including…cooked meat and fish, even bones) generated during both food preparation and from left-overs. The waste is initially pre-treated onsite by catering staff, with a Natural Odour and Pathogen Control (NOPC) spray. This spray ensures the waste begins a process of fermentation, thus avoiding any unpleasant odours and vermin associated with waste putrefaction.
The waste is collected weekly from locked outdoor facilities and taken to ELCRP's treatment facility where it is shredded, and then stored in an in-vessel composting system. The vessel rotates and heats the waste to temperatures over 60 degrees centigrade aiding the composting process. It is then matured in either composting boxes or wormeries. The final product is an odour-free, neutral compost which is highly nutrient rich and can be used to revitalise and fertilise soil. This can then be supplied to staff for use in office pot plants and home gardens.
The ELCRP is a social enterprise, providing recycling solutions in an area of high deprivation and unemployment. Based on a housing estate in Clapton, Hackney, it collects and composts food waste from the local estates before returning it to be used on the estate gardens. It has been a highly successful and popular scheme and has virtually eradicated rats and other vermin from many estates which previously has serious problems. This pilot scheme, however, is the first project ELCRP have undertaken with any government offices.
This is the first large scale commercial food composting scheme of its kind in the UK and it is hoped that if successful, the scheme can be used as a model for other similar schemes across Government.
This initiative will also contribute to GOL reaching the Government's targets on waste reduction and recycling.