Recycle More Waste

Food and drink waste mapping in 2005 found that three sub-sectors dominate the regions production of food waste; production and processing of meat and poultry; processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables and processing of other food products, representing 79% of the regional food and drink industry in terms of output, producing between them 383,000 tonnes of waste per year.

Although 83% of the waste generated by these sectors is currently segregated for recycling, animal feed or incineration, the remaining 72,000 tonnes per year is disposed of to landfill.  Opportunities exist for over 62,000 tonnes of this waste to be segregated for recycling, composting, energy recovery and other applications, including 18,000 tonnes of plastic.

As the ‘easy to reach’ material is already being segregated, this remaining opportunity will prove more challenging and require:
• The engagement of smaller food and drink companies in recycling activities
• The recycling of plastics which is currently avoided in most cases
• The development of commercial composting for food and drink companies

SME’s in particular find it difficult to recycle due to limited space for segregation and storage and the lack of smaller local collectors who can collect small quantities of material.  However, as 880 out of the 1,100 food and drink businesses in the region are SME’s, there is significant opportunity to expand activity in this area.

RAY has programmes to increase plastics recycling and organics composting to create jobs and investment, reduce business costs and reduce environmental impacts. Collecting food waste from house holds and small businesses is an emerging area currently with trials being conducted around the country. There is a severe lack of options for businesses in Yorkshire and Humber which needs to be urgently addressed to prevent growing business costs hampering the success of the food and drinks sector.

In partnership with regional experts in the food and drink sector RAY is looking into what programme activity should be delivered in the food and drink sector to meet these challenges and is seeking to develop a clearer picture of the current outlets for food waste in the region.

If you recycle, compost or recover energy from food waste in Yorkshire and Humber please contact Alex Hargreaves at Recycling Action Yorkshire