WASTE NOT!
NEW REGULATIONS MEAN THE FRYING TRADE MUST RE-ASSSES ITS WASTE PROCEDURES, WRITES DANNY BLYTH…
If there's one thing we can rely on when it comes to environmental rules and regulations it is that things shan't be slowing down - nor getting any easier for the Fish Frying trade.
At the end of last month new regulations on landfill came into place decreeing that no UK landfill site would accept any further waste that hadn't been pre-treated, i.e. separated in accordance with guidelines. Waste must undergo a physical, thermal or biological process that changes its characteristics and reduces its mass or hazardous nature, facilitates its handling or enhances its recovery. For most businesses, this will mean separate containers for recyclable waste, just like many households across the country.
Also last month the Government swiftly added that new business targets will come into effect in January 2008 to help the UK meet its obligations under the EC Packaging Directive. Higher targets are proposed for 2009 and beyond to increase the level of recovery and recycling.
The heat is sure on the caterer on two fronts: packaging and food waste. However, technology moves on as does legislative requirements and means of handling both packaging and food waste more economically are at hand.
On packaging there is a ready solution from environmental waste solutions specialist Mil-tek. Its remedy comes in theform of a baler that compresses packagaing waste - and a smaller load means lower disposal costs and perhaps a small profit, no less.
Miltek's Stephen Tibbs takes up the story, saying: "The pressure will be increased on caterers - though they won't be targetting the smaller ones at first. That will come later.
"There are several benefits of using a baler. One of the first is that you won't need or be filling so many skips so it's an absolute saving on space in the shop area. There's less mess around and that's important for those in the food industry. Plus there's less fire risk as well. And it isn't unsightly - it looks good too."
Tibbs' firm will supply free on-site training as part its package, which he says is a simple affair as the machines are so very easy to operate. Add in regular servicing and 24 call out cover as part of the deal too and it becomes all the more attractive. But what of the cost?
"At the moment we find from businesses using a baler that it pays for itself in savings in a year," says Tibbs. "A small machine costs between £2,000 and £3,000 though it can be rented for £17 a month. However, if you're paying for four wheelie bins a month at £10 a time you can see where you save."
Then there's the matter of the compacted, baled up material. If you have large amounts of this and can store it Mil-tek will collect it free and even pay you for it. If you have small amounts and need it shifted more regularly then Mil-tek will arrange that for a fee. Tibbs sums up the variables when he adds that: "We find that shops can save up to 70 percent on disposal costs and that the average is about 60 percent."
As well as the practical benefits and potential cost effectiveness baling is also convenient. Tibbs cites the example of 25-litre oil drums, which can be crushed in six to eight seconds and take up just one 20th of the space they normally would in your bin.
Moving on, the situation as regards food waste doesn't seem to be as clear cut a proposition - as yet. But there is hope according to Paul Tittle at IMC, the firm best known in the fryig trade for its peelers and chippers.
IMC is fast developing technology such as its new Macerator/dewaterer combination. Here's how it works: Rather than macerate and send the food waste immediately to drain (not always ideal when dealing with antiquated, high maintenance drainage and sewerage systems), the macerated waste is passed through one of IMC's dewaterers in order to extract solid particles from the liquid waste.
The resultant grey water is then allowed to disperse to drain whilst the solid fraction is captured in small, easily handled, lidded waste collection bins which are then placed outside the kitchen. At this stage of the process, the waste volume has been reduced by a massive 80% thereby substantially reducing any waste collection charges that may be subsequently incurred.
Again, apart from the obvious savings, proper disposal of food waste in this way brings other benefits in an altogether more hygienic environment in which to process food and less risk of infestation what with having large amounts of food waste on site at any time. Proper disposal also means no chance of your being prosecuted for disposal into drains and this is an important plus for there has been a growing number of high-profile prosecutions for such over the last year among caterers.
The IMC machines however, come in at £5,000. Though its supplied with full training and is secribed a very simple to operate that's still a sizeable sum for many shops. However, IMC reports that it's currently working on a rental scheme for public sector users that will ensure that total disposal costs are not increased any. "And I see no reason why that cannot be extended to individual independent caterers," says IMC's Paul Tittle.
There may also be a concern about the effectiveness of the machines in the Fish & Chip trade, where food waste tends to have a very high water content - meaning that much sludge may be produced rather than solid waste. However, as Paul Tittle points out diversifying menus that include more pies, pizza and sausages etc. alleviates this conjcern. "The better the food waste mix the better the result," he says, and so the IMC solution would perhaps appear best suited to shops with restaurant areas.
IMC is a big, trusted supplier to the frying trade and knows our industry well. No surprise therefore that it says it's keen to directly advise individual shops on the issues involved.
It's surely time to get better prepared, advises Paul Tittle. Speaking on the day the latest legislation came into force, he told FRY Monthly: "There are three things we can take for sure: waste disposal charges will increase; there will be no more new landfill sites; and so alternatives need to be sought."
- To find out more about recent legislation on landfill visit www.defra.gov.uk and a guide to pre-treatment requirements can be found on the Biffa website at www.biffa.co.uk/pretreatment
- For Mil-tek call 0800 0835713 or visit www.miltek-uk.co.uk; for IMC call 01978 661155, or visit www.imco.co.uk
