We propose that Horsham District Council provides a food waste collection and anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting service in Horsham.
Our planet is poised on the brink of a severe environmental crisis. The public not only recognises the need to be more environmentally conscious but also environmentally proactive. Change starts with ourselves and our personal choices, but given this facility we could make a difference on a wider scale.
The average family wastes on average 20% of the foods they purchase at a cost of £60 a month. 4 million tonnes of unavailable food waste is generated a year from households alone. Not only do we have a moral obligation to reduce waste, it also makes economic sense. It costs less than half to recycle food waste through anaerobic digestion compared to including it with the household waste. This means that recycling food waste would make long-term savings to help protect our critical frontline council services like social care, libraries and schools.
Recycling food waste also represents the most sustainable way of extracting value and turning this waste into a resource. The generated electricity from the gas produced during the anaerobic digestion process can either be fed back into the National Grid or perhaps used to provide power for a housing estate for poorer families. The other huge benefit to anaerobic digestion is the reduction of CO2 – every tonne of food waste recycled by anaerobic digestion as an alternative to landfill prevents between 0.5 and 1.0 tonne of CO2 entering the atmosphere.
We are aware that the Biffa Brookhurst Wood plant in Warnham currently processes food waste in an Anaerobic Digester however separating waste types at point of collection is the most efficient way of minimising contamination between different waste and maximising the value that can be recovered from each waste. That is why we believe that single stream source segregation of food waste is so important.
A Food Waste collection service would surely be welcomed by Horsham residents, especially given the forthcoming cut to general waste collection to every fortnight rather than every week from 5 February 2018. This is part of Horsham District Council’s proposal to reduce the amount of waste we recycle from the current 44% to national target of 50% by 2020. Furthermore as part of a 2015 analysis, Horsham Council found that 28% of what we throw away is food waste. We fully support the Council’s pledge to encourage recycling and reduce general waste. If food waste collection was to be introduced, it would surely be a natural partnership to help residents achieve this goal.
We suggest the following steps as a starting point:
1. The council makes contact with large scale in-vessel composting companies, and makes plans for the practicalities of collection, composting, and use of the compost.
If necessary, the council can contact other councils who have successfully overcome this issue, for advice.
For example:
Lewes Council:
Matthew Busby, Waste & Recycling Customer Support, Acting Supervisor
Surrey County Council:
Mike Goodman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning
Jason Russell, Deputy Director for Environment & Infrastructure
Jacqui Archer, PA and Project Support Officer
2. Once initial planning stages are in place, the new service is announced to the public with details about how to use the service, and the good news about the impact this will have on the environment and economy.
3. Compost collection bins, and compostable bags if needed, are delivered to all the residents in Horsham with instructions on how to use, how the collection service works, and information about where the food waste will go as well as the positive environmental impact.
4. Food waste collection and responsible disposal is rolled out across the Horsham District.
5. Find ways to monitor the food waste scheme, and create a report one year later of the impact this has had in terms of waste reduction and sustainability in Horsham. Share these results with residents to encourage them to continue to use the service.
We believe a realistic timeframe for the above to be implemented is by December 2018, and urge the council to rise to this.
