Food Waste in The United Kingdom - Response - Disposal

Disposal

Food waste remains primarily disposed to landfill (54 per cent of total municipal waste was disposed of in this way in 2007/8), although year-on-year the amount being sent to landfill is decreasing.

Composting, the purposeful biodegradation of organic matter by microorganisms, is among the most simple ways of treating food waste and thereby preventing it being sent to landfill. Since all biodegradable materials will eventually oxidise to become compost, the process can be undertaken at home with no running costs, although equipment can accelerate the process. Most components of food waste are putrescibles and will be broken down in a compost, however some exceptions will not (e.g. cooked foods and feces) and can attract vermin. The effectiveness of composting food waste depends on the available space (or storage capacity in the case of a compost bin) and the method of composting. Unlike in landfill, where it is mixed with other (non-biodegradable) materials, food waste decomposing in a compost does not release harmful gases. Similarly to compost created from other waste sources, composted food waste can be used to return nutrients to the soil if spread on the garden (see uses of compost).

Anaerobic digestion (AD), the breaking down of biodegradable material by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen, is recognised as an effective method of waste disposal, with the potential to address the food waste problem nationally. AD technology has a small environmental impact, producing less greenhouse gas emissions than composting. However, although the process is well established in the water industry, it is less so within the waste sector. Despite this, the AD industry is being (and planned to be further) expanded by local councils and retailers to deal with food waste; several local authorities in the UK are planning to build anaerobic digestion plants, with the largest, to be located in Selby, due to operate from 2010. Supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's are both adopting AD technology to dispose of their waste, while Tesco's head of waste and recycling said: "As renewable energy technologies now become mainstream, there is no excuse for sending waste to landfill that could actually be put to positive use." AD technology remains an experimental field though, and there is potential for advancements to increase efficiency.

Incinerating waste has traditionally been viewed as a method with the main purpose being the destruction of the waste involved. Recovering the energy generated from this process has become of greater importance, and all incineration facilities in England now operate as energy-from-waste plants (with many operating as combined heat and power facilities). Critics question the safety of the pollutants emitted during the process and argue that, as incinerators require constant levels of waste to operate, it encourages more waste. However, the levels of emissions from the incinerating process has been greatly reduced by developments in technology and legislation.