17 February 2011 The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has claimed that the exclusive emphasis on segregating and collecting biodegradable waste from has been a mistake, and that sink mounted waste disposal units could offer an alternative.
In an update to its Policy Position Statement on Food Waste Disposers, the Institution has said that a more diverse range of domestic food waste disposal options are needed to maximise the number of residents participating in such schemes, and to divert as much food waste as possible from landfill.
According to the CIWEM, the government is pushing the nationwide expansion anaerobic digestion. However the organisation said that whilst collecting food waste in caddies as part of a regular recycling collection may be effective in some cases, in others a more effective solution would be to utilise food waste disposers.
The CIWEM claims that these units are common in other countries, and offer an ideal solution in certain circumstances, such as in blocks of flats where storage of the waste before collection is more difficult, or in rural areas where recycling trucks have to drive large distances between collections.
The systems work by grinding food to allow it to be washed down the sink, and treated alongside sewage at treatment works where anaerobic digesters are commonly utilised.
By 2015, the CIWEM say that 85% of all sewage sludge in England and Wales will be digested anaerobically, with biogas used to generate electricity, biomethane used for transport fuel or injection into the grid, and biosolids recycling.
This can represent a less carbon-intensive mode of collection than by truck, as well as an easier disposal route for those in high density housing.
CIWEM Executive Director Nick Reeves said:
"This is about employing the most effective means of getting as much food and other biodegradable waste to where it can be used to extract more value. Biodegradable waste is a valuable resource and we should be seeking ways to maximise its use.
"As with many things, one size most definitely does not fit all, yet current waste policy is geared very much to kerbside collection of source segregated biodegradable waste. We believe that in some instances, this is not necessarily the best solution, whereas food waste disposers could provide an opportunity for cost saving to society as a whole."
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