Following a report at the end of 2016 showing that the retail industry produced 20,000 tonnes more food waste year-on-year, Westminster City Council are looking to help clients tackle this growing problem of reducing and reusing food waste.
We are right behind the British Retail Consortium’s “A Better Retailing Climate” initiative including efforts to ‘reduce waste from the farm to fork’. Their initiatives are about producing only the right amount of food products to meet demand and the redistribution of surplus food to good causes.
WRAP, the waste and resources charity, are also involved through the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign which we have mentioned in past blogs. You can see more by following the link above.
Food waste: Westminster puts it to other uses
Whilst it is right to reduce food waste right through the supply chain, we recognise that there will always be food waste that needs disposing of. The message here is that food waste can be used again and doesn’t have to be burnt or go into a landfill site.
That would indeed be a waste!
Westminster City Council’s Commercial Waste Service has a separate food waste collection service that collects the food waste from across Westminster’s hospitality businesses and retailers. We take any food waste we collect for treatment in an anaerobic digestion facility.
Anaerobic digestion is the most advanced and environmentally friendly way to treat food waste. The facility turns food waste into two useful items:
- biogas that can go into the gas grid or be used to generate electricty
- fertiliser used on farms.
As such, following true recycling principles, our food waste collection service ensures that what starts on the farm gets returned to the farm. A real closed loop solution!
How do I start having my food waste collected for recycling?
Its important you know that food waste cannot be placed in bags on the street for collection. Animal By-Product Regulations require a more safe and secure approach and so we supply you with all the bins and (bin)liners that you require. We will provide the food waste collection service on a schedule that suits you.
Contribute to cleaner air in Westminster at the same time!
Westminster City Council has a wider initiative to reduce air pollution in the centre of London.
By having your food waste collected by us as your waste collection partner, your site will be serviced by one of the youngest vehicle fleets in the capital. Our fleet’s emissions are significantly less than those from the older more polluting fleets typically used by other waste collectors.
Due to separate and stringent national and regional requirements placed on us for reducing vehicle emissions, we use cleaner alternative fuels in vehicles that perform better. By being at the forefront of clean vehicle technology, our waste service helps reduce high levels of air pollution in London