Food waste

Sustainable food - it’s not just about waste

Food is our fuel, there are significant challenges ahead in securing food supplies for the world’s growing population, the food we eat has a significant impact on our health, and for those of us in the waste industry food waste represents 1/3 of municipal waste, and when disposed of in landfill, produces methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases.

More significantly, we are only now beginning to realise the full environmental burden of food waste in terms of the lost resources used across the whole supply chain: from farm to fork.

Work we have done, or are doing in this area covers the full range of services and includes:

Evaluation of WRAP’s food waste trials and support to local authorities in the design and roll out of food waste collections
Recent focus has included the recognition of the food waste reduction impact of introducing food waste collections and linking this with reviews of waste prevention strategies
National research regarding waste composition and waste arisings means that we have an excellent understanding of waste data and trends and can advise on the impact on food waste of different interventions, collections, promotional activities etc. This area is also of interest to the organics processing industry particularly with regard to predicting the composition of feedstock
Contributing to national research into food waste in supply chains, and an international study into the waste drivers’ in relation to food security issues to 2050
Love Food Hate Waste – promotion and public engagement including GMWDA, NLWDA – two of the largest waste disposal authorities in the UK
Food waste in schools – including composting on site and food waste collections in schools – pilots and roll out of collections in Bristol (including in schools workshops, teaching materials as well as liaison with caretakers, kitchen staff and contractors). We are currently undertaking research work for WRAP regarding food waste in schools
Community engagement on food waste issues – working with our 26 community action groups in Oxfordshire – an approach which develops skills and expertise in the community within a supporting network of groups
Commercial food waste collections pilots

We have identified food issues as being an important area for development in the future and are able to offer a range of products and services for those organisations wishing to tackle food waste issues. We are also interested in exploring with others how these issues relate to other policy agendas including healthy eating, food supply and promotion of allotments and growing your own food.

For more information on any of our services, call us right now on 0117 930 4355.

Case Studies

Food waste collections from Bristol schools

Between 2007 and 2009 Resource Futures worked with Bristol City Council and their contractor to pilot the collection of food waste and cardboard from schools for in-vessel composting, and to roll collections out to most schools in the city.

In-vessel composting at Stowford Primary School

Resource Futures' Composting in Schools Project supports a school to divert 2½ tonnes of food waste from landfill in one year.

South West region comes together to tackle food waste

In autumn 2009, the South West Waste and Recycling Forum (SWWRF) and Resource Futures worked with all the 35 local authorities (LAs) across the South West to deliver a collaborative campaign on food waste reduction, which was conceived by the forum the previous year.

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Community RePaint

Community RePaint is managed by Resource Futures. It is a network of projects that collect unwanted surplus paint, diverting it from the waste stream and redistributing it to individuals, families and communities in social need and providing environmental, social and economic benefits for stakeholders.

Community Action Groups

Community Action Groups, CAGs, is a network of 30 local voluntary groups in Oxfordshire. The CAG support team is managed by Resource Futures, and provides hands-on help and advice for groups who organise events and initiatives to raise awareness and take action on climate change issues, in order to live more sustainable and less resource dependent lives in their local community.

News and Events

Comprehensive guidance published to assist local authorities improve the performance of HWRCs

Resource Futures has produced comprehensive guidance to help local authorities, waste management companies and third sector organisations to improve the performance of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). Commissioned and published by WRAP, the guidance provides advice about cost-effective methods to improve HWRC management and a number of case studies from across the country.

Report reveals 1.5 million tonnes of bulky waste are disposed of each year in the UK

Resource Futures has carried out the biggest fieldwork project to investigate arisings of bulky household waste in the UK. The project, commissioned by WRAP, estimates that over 1.5 million tonnes of bulky waste items are disposed of in the UK annually. Most of these items are taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and over half of these are estimated to be re-usable.

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