Shrewsbury sinks food waste

An exciting new national study has been launched in Shropshire as part of the Local Government Association’s Waste Innovation Programme. The project will investigate the impact of Food Waste Disposers (FWD), which are being fitted in all the homes in the new David Wilson Homes development, Riverside Meadows, which is on the site of the old Shrewsbury Town FC football stadium in Shrewsbury.

Philippa Roberts, Managing Director of Low and Behold, who are managing the project explained:

“Waste water treatment works use Anaerobic Digestion to process their sewage. This is the same technology that is used to process food waste; producing renewable energy in the process. By allowing the householders at Riverside Meadows to put their food waste down their sinks, we are hoping to see a cost saving for the Council.”

She explained “Much of the project monitoring and evaluation will be involve the sewer network and waste water treatment works so the impacts on the sewer network and any cost implications of this are a critical element of the pilot project.

Councillor Peter Fleming, the Chair of the LGA, who funded this project said:

“Local government has long been recognised as the most efficient part of the public sector. But at a time of immense budget pressure – and with the prospect of further severe funding cuts at the next spending review – councils face their greatest challenge yet to reshape services in a way that meets the needs of local residents while operating within the new financial realities. This is why exploring innovative solutions to waste management is crucial. By exploring new ways of dealing with waste we open the door to vast potential savings for Councils.”

The Waste Innovation Programme will trial the use of Food Waste Disposers supplied by Insinkerator UK which are electrically powered units which are plumbed into kitchen sinks.  These are widely used across the USA but less so in the UK to date.  The units grind food waste into tiny particles (less than 4mm) which can then simply wash down the sink.  This will enable the residents to send their food waste for anaerobic digestion without the need for it to be collected.  As well as making it clean, quick and easy for the residents to minimise what ends up in their bins, this project will also help to produce renewable energy, reduce waste to landfill whilst also opening up potentially huge savings for local Councils. 

Across the UK local authorities spend billions of pounds of taxpayers money collecting and disposing of waste each year and with around one-fifth of all this waste being food waste it makes sense to look at all available options for addressing this issue.  In particular in flats where waste storage and collection is problematic and where some people wont have access to a garden for home composting, this type of unit may be an effective way to manage food waste in a sustainable, cost-effective and simple manner.