Hull leads the way in reducing food waste to landfill

Businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber region can reduce their CO2 emissions by thousands of tonnes and reduce their waste disposal costs, thanks to a new food waste collection service that has recently been launched in Hull.

Food waste is often mixed in with other waste, and is sent to landfill sites where it decomposes, releasing harmful greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane. Until now, businesses have not been able to recycle their food waste separately from their other waste. But now, a new service launched by the Hull-based recycling and waste management provider Wastewise, gives businesses the opportunity to have their food waste collected separately from their other waste.
 
The scheme, which is the first of its kind in the area, enables separate collections of food waste, dry mixed recyclables and general waste using a split-body refuse collection vehicle with two compartments for different types of waste. More than one type of waste can be collected and kept separate with just one visit, making the system more convenient for businesses to use, and cutting down on the amount of vehicle journeys.

One of the first customers to sign up for the service was BP (via Veolia Environmental Services) who operates a large staff canteen at its chemical plant in Hull. As Russell Cannel from Veolia comments, “BP is committed to continually improving its operations and minimising any adverse effects on the environment and public health. The food waste collection service from Wastewise will help BP to achieve its aim of zero waste to landfill whilst saving money at the same time.”

The new collection offers better recycling services to local businesses such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, hospitals, schools, supermarkets and residential homes, as well as larger food factories. Wastewise Managing Director, James Landau, commented “Businesses expect affordable, sustainable and reliable waste management services. By using modern collection methods, we can now ensure their waste is recycled - with waste disposal costs continuing to rise, recycling is becoming the way to save.”

The food waste is taken to composting facilities in the area where it is converted into renewable energy and organic compost for use locally in agriculture, horticulture and landscaping. Other materials such as plastic, cardboard, metal and glass are recycled into new products. Wastewise’s sister company, Biowise, has planning permission to build a state-of-the-art composting facility at its site in Willerby which, once built, will reduce transport to an absolute minimum and maximise the financial and environmental benefits for its customers.

The service was financially supported by CO2Sense Yorkshire, the business development programme owned by Yorkshire Forward, which is working to help businesses in the region reduce their carbon impacts. As Andy Hartley, Operations Director of CO2Sense Yorkshire explains; “Yorkshire businesses send over half a million tonnes of food waste to landfill each year. By collecting this waste separately for processing, a valuable soil improver can be produced for use in agriculture, avoiding the pollution which would be caused if this material was landfilled.”

Click here to find out more about our waste collection services.
Click here to read the Hull Daily Mail article.