Where does our Food Waste Go?
Waste Treated by Composting and AD Plants in 2015
In their recent report on Composting and Anaerobic Digestion in Ireland, the EPA stated that 300 thousand tonnes of food and biowaste was treated by Composting and AD Plants in Ireland in 2015. Of this 65{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} (195 ktonnes) was municipal waste, that is canteen waste, kitchen waste and garden waste. The EPA elaborated further by telling us that 39{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} of this waste is commercial. They indicated that these plants treat approximately 120 thousand tonnnes of household waste (collected via the brown bin), or 25kg per person. Of this 25kgs, the EPA stated that 10{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} is garden waste meaning that for each person, 23kg of food waste was treated by Composting and AD Plants in 2015.
Where does Ireland’s Food Waste End Up?
The EPA also informed us that each person generated approximately 80kg per year of household food waste. This unfrotunately means over 55kg per person of food waste (or 253 thousand tonnes) is disposed of in other ways. Of this 253 ktonnes the EPA tell us that 31 ktonnes went to Northern Ireland for processing in 2015. This then leaves 232 ktonnes of brown waste that is mixed, it would appear, with residual waste. In 2015 the mechanical treatment of residual waste resulted in the extraction of 119ktonnes of organic fines (that is organic waste with limited value and can be used to cover landfill). This left approximately 113 ktonnes of organic waste that is either dumped, landfilled or exported. Unfortunately no one can shed light on the ultimate destination of this 113 ktonnes of food waste
What a Waste!
What however, the statistics available do show us is that only about 36{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} of household food waste is segregated correctly. Thus leaving 2/3 of the food waste generated by households which cannot be recycled for use as compost due to contamination. What a waste!