News & Information
Click here to go back to News listing.
UK’s Food Waste Recycling Tripled says WRAP Survey
November 22, 2011According to the long waited WRAP survey about Britain’s organics waste and recycling sector the amount of food waste diverted from landfills has more than tripled in just nine months. Entitled ‘A study of the UK organics recycling industry 2009’, found that separate food waste collection by local authorities rose from 36,000 tonnes in 2008/09 to over 110,000 in April-December 2009.
Before you ask, yes the year is right. The survey published yesterday is for the calendar year of 2009 and it doesn’t use the financial year because the survey uses data input from a regulated site which is only available by calendar year.
Why is 2009 data only just being published?
The regulatory authorities’ data collection and publication cycle is such that the 2009 data were the most recent available at the time when the fieldwork was begun in early 2011. This survey has covered a wider range of types of sites and includes a more extensive range of analyses than previous surveys, which has taken longer to carry out and is reflected in the revised structure of the report.
Since 2006 this market analysis has been commissioned through a joint venture between the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR), the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA), and the Renewable Energy Association (REA).
It is also important to note that only nine months had elapsed since the previous survey covering the reporting period 2008/09 so the amount of food waste collected and recycled should even higher.
The study is the most complete market analysis of the UK’s organic recycling industry activities and performance. It is to be used as a source to identify trends and monitor structural and technological changes that are rapidly taking place within the industry.
Highlighted Fact & Figures
• A total of 309 organics recycling sites were identified as operational in 2009, comprising 281 permitted composting sites, 17 AD sites, nine MBT sites, plus two TAD sites (described in Section 3.1).
• Just under 6 million tonnes (Mt) of organic waste was treated at these sites in 2009, this represents an 8.9% growth from the 2008/9 survey excluding MBT.
• 5.5Mt of waste recycled at AD, permitted composting (IVC and OAW) and TAD sites, representing 93% of the total quantity of input waste to the industry
• 0.4Mt processed at MBT sites
• the industry was dominated by a large number of operators running one or two sites (75% of all operators are in this category
• the aggregate turnover of the UK organics recycling industry was estimated to be £229M (Section 3.3.2, Table 3.19);
• the permitted composting sector was estimated to have a turnover of £187M;
• turnover per tonne of material at composting sites ranged from £30 (OAW composting systems) to £61 (IVC systems);
• the AD sector was estimated to have a turnover of £11M, calculated to be equivalent to £105/t;
• business rates were estimated to cost composting sites £2.45/t of material processed
• a minimum of 2325 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees were engaged in organics recycling
• the composting sector is thought to be largely reliant upon gate fees as the primary source of revenue in their business models.
• Aerobic composting was the dominant treatment method, accounting for 91% of permitted/licensed sites and 90% of waste. 17 AD plants (5.5%) were in operation, although these only treated 1.0% of the total quantity of input waste.
For a copy of the full report click HERE
After an in-depth analysis of the report we can conclude that the quantity of compost manufactured in the UK is growing year on year. Food waste recycling by IVC (in vessel composting) showed the greatest increase in quantity of waste treated while composting continues to be the main source to recycle food waste. No change as observed in the quantity of waste processed by Anaerobic Digestion (AD) but with new government policies to take place in the near future these figures will change.
The contents of this article used as reference data from the following websites:
http://www.organics-recycling.org.uk/
http://www.wrap.org.uk/
http://www.adbiogas.co.uk/
http://www.r-e-a.net/
For waste management and recycling services in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas please contact MT Waste now for a no obligation quote.
SHARE THIS:
| Tweet |