THE GENERATION OF FOOD WASTE AT GMIT WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT

IT?

E Hoult
A REPORT TO GERRY TALBOT
DETAILING LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
6/7/2012
Waste Management..............................................................................................................................1
Affected Businesses and Premises.........................................................................................................1
Key Obligations for Businesses..............................................................................................................1
Key Obligations for Businesses..........................................................................................................1
What can be done?...............................................................................................................................2
Options for the Recycling of Food Waste..............................................................................................2
Food waste regulation enforcement.....................................................................................................3
Penalties............................................................................................................................................3
Affected Businesses and Premises.........................................................................................................4
General Notes....................................................................................................................................5
Education Sector....................................................................................................................................5
On-Site Composting...............................................................................................................................6
Composting Process..........................................................................................................................6
Regulatory Obligations......................................................................................................................6
Best Practice Tips...............................................................................................................................7
Types of Systems...................................................................................................................................7
Who Can Advise.....................................................................................................................................7
Recent Case Study.................................................................................................................................8
Best Practice Tips for Using a Brown Bin in a Kitchen............................................................................9
List of Food Waste in a Brown Bin.........................................................................................................9
Examples of Food Waste that Can Go into a Brown Bin:.................................................................10
Other Options......................................................................................................................................10
Windrow Technology...........................................................................................................................10
In Vessel Technology...........................................................................................................................11
Animal By-Product Composting...........................................................................................................11
In The Market Systems that May Benefit GMIT in Waste Management.............................................11
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................14

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 Waste Management
On the 1st July 2010 the Food Waste Regulations (SI 508 of 2009) entered into force in
Ireland. The Regulations mean that major producers of food waste will have to source
segregate food waste, ensure that it is not mixed with other waste and make it available for a
brown bin collection service where it is recycled in a food waste recycling plant (e.g.
composting plant). Alternatively, waste producers can bring the food waste directly to a food
waste recycling plant; or the food waste can be treated by composting it on the premises
where it is generated.
At the present time, the recycling rate in Ireland for food waste generated by businesses is
very low – less than 10%. However, this material can be recycled relatively easily. This new
legislation is designed to ensure that all major commercial sources of food waste make their
contribution to increasing national recycling levels.
Besides causing increased recycling, the purpose of the legislation is to comply with EU
legislation. The Landfill Directive requires all EU countries to reduce the amount of waste
sent to landfill sites by a series of yearly, and increasingly stringent, targets. A failure to meet
these targets may cause Ireland having to pay significant fines.

Affected Businesses and Premises

The regulations impose obligations on the major producers of food waste, such as shops,
supermarkets, public houses, state buildings, restaurants, cafés, bistros, wine bars, hot food
outlets, canteens in office buildings, hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, hospitals, nursing homes,
schools, colleges, train stations, marinas and airports. GMIT falls into this category.

Key Obligations for Businesses

Key Obligations for Businesses
A key requirement of the Food Waste Regulations is that food waste must be kept separate
from other waste. This prevents it becoming contaminated and unsuitable for recycling. The
legislation also prevents segregated food waste from being disposed of by being sent to
landfill.
A business that is subject to this legislation has three alternative options for its segregated
food waste:

The waste can be collected by a waste collector that is offering a brown bin collection
service. The collector always must take it to an approved plant for recycling by
composting or by another similar process;

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 The waste can be transported by the business directly to a composting plant or other
type of food waste recycling facility ; or
The waste can be dealt by the business on-site using a composting unit.
Businesses that want to compost food waste on site usually need a Certificate of
Registration from their local authority. This is a requirement of the Waste
Management Act.

What can be done?

Currently as set down in the waste management (Food Waste) regulations 2009,
GMIT employ the services of a local waste collector that is offering a brown bin
collection service. The collector always must take it to an approved plant for recycling
by composting or by another similar process. Another option worth considering for
GMIT is that of composting. A composting unit can be set up on site, however it
needs to ensure that there is full compliance with all of the relevant environmental and
public health legislation. For example, the establishment of its own composting unit
requires the business (GMIT) to apply to its local authority for a certificate of
registration to be issued. This is a requirement of the Waste Management Act.
In addition, the composting unit must comply with animal by-product rules. Food
waste cannot be mixed with other waste after collection; nor can it be land-filled.

In some instances, operators of canteens, restaurants and other similar food outlets
located within commercial buildings may not have direct control over the waste
collection arrangements serving the premises. In such circumstances, the Food Waste
Regulations require compliance by the person responsible for the building in which
the canteen or other premises is situated in this case the training kitchens in GMIT.
Both the food outlet operator and the occupier of the building may be liable under the
Regulations when offences are committed.

Options for the Recycling of Food Waste

As noted, a key objective of the Food Waste Regulations is to ensure that food waste
is recycled. Usually, it will be made into compost, which is then available to be spread
on parks, gardens etc. It also can be recovered by a process known as anaerobic
digestion and converted into a gas-like fuel. Other recovery options are allowable,
although the legislation prohibits segregated food waste passing to incineration.

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 In all cases, the food waste recycling plant must fall within what the Food Waste
Regulations term an “authorised facility”. Usually this will mean that the site must be
authorised by a waste licence or waste facility permit issued under the Waste
Management Act. As noted, small-scale composting plants operated on the site where
the food waste was generated – such as at a hotel or nursing home – instead can be
granted a certificate of registration. All of these facilities must also be compliant with
any requirement for planning permission; most larger plants will be subject to a
permit or other form of approval issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food. Operators of waste facilities are forbidden from contaminating food waste
and from disposing of it. However, the Food Waste Regulations allows a recovery
plant operator to blend food waste with other organic wastes and with amendment
material to facilitate the recycling process. In instances where the resultant material
proves not to be usable or suitable as compost, it can only be disposed of with the
consent of the EPA or local authority responsible for the recovery facility’s licence or
permit.

Food waste regulation enforcement

The Food Waste Regulations are enforced by each county council or city council.
Officers of such bodies are allowed to enter premises to check that there is
compliance with this legislation. Local authorities can also require businesses to
explain how food waste generated at a particular premises is being managed. This
request can take a number of different forms, including requiring the submission of a
food waste management implementation report or annual environmental report.
A food waste management implementation report provides information on the use,
type, quantity, origin, management arrangements and destination of food waste. An
annual environmental report covers matters such as the amount of food waste
generated, the quantity sent for recycling and measures adopted to reduce food waste
over the course of the previous year. Information supplied to a local authority which
is false or misleading is an offence under the Regulations. The Food Waste
Regulations also mandate provide that food waste collectors should inform each local
authority of organisations that are refusing to avail of a food waste collection service.
Non-compliance with the Food Waste Regulations is an offence. This can affect
business that do not segregate their food waste properly, as well as contractors that
dispose of segregated food waste rather than recycle it. Organisers of trade shows and
other events that fail to ensure that hot food outlets comply with the legislation are
also open to prosecution. This also applies to all businesses that do not submit the
required food waste management plans or food waste management implementation
reports. As noted, both an operator of a business such as a canteen or restaurant and
the occupier of the premises in which it is situated are subject to the legislation and
may be liable when offences are committed.

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Penalties
Offences relating to the Food Waste Regulations usually will involve an offender
being required to appear at the District Court. The relevant maximum penalties are a
€3,000 fine per offence or 12 months imprisonment (or both).

Affected Businesses and Premises

The following list is a copy of Schedule 1 to the Food Waste Regulations. Readers
should be aware of the notes at the end that clarify the various categories. In addition,
various terms contained in the Schedule and in the Regulations themselves are defined
in Regulation 2(3) of the Food Waste Regulations. Class 1: “Premises used for the
supply of hot food for consumption both on and off the premises, including premises
where the supply of such food is subsidiary to any other commercial or retail activity,
(including events prescribed under section 230 of the Act of 2000 but excluding other
premises located at any fair, funfair, bazaar, circus or any local event of a religious,
cultural, educational, political, social, recreational or sporting character where the use
for such purposes does not exceed, as the case may be, a period of 10 days
continuously or an aggregate of 20 days in any one year). Mobile food outlets, such as
vans and caravans, located outside the curtilage of premises so obligated shall be
exempted from the requirements of these Regulations”.
Class 2: “A public house where food is supplied, which has been prepared in a kitchen
or catering facility engaged in the preparation of food for the purposes of supply.”
Class 3: “Premises where food is supplied to employees or prepared on the premises
for the purposes of supply to employees, including premises which are used for
carrying on any industrial, commercial or trade activities as well as office buildings
and mixed-use premises.”
Class : “A guest house, hostel or hotel providing overnight guest accommodation,
excluding premises comprising not more than four bedrooms which are used for the
purposes of overnight guest accommodation.”
Class 5: “A shop or supermarket involved in sale of food to the public, including
premises for the sale of sandwiches or hot food where the sale of such food is
subsidiary to the main retail use”
Class 6: “A restaurant, café, bistro, wine bar or other similar premises where food is
prepared on the premises”
Class 7: “A hospital, nursing home or other premises for the long term residential
accommodation of people in need of care where food is prepared on the premises.”
Class 8: “An institution providing adult, continuing or further education, a
school, college or training centre, or a university or any other third-level or
higher-level institution, whether or not supported by public funds, where food is
prepared on the premises.”
Class 9: “State buildings where food is prepared on the premises, including (a) Garda
stations and other buildings; (b) Prisons and other places of detention; (c) Barracks,
other buildings and other installations (including airfields and naval yards) used for
the purposes of, or in connection with, the operation of the Defence Forces; (d) Office

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 buildings or other premises used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the
business of Uachtarán na h-Éireann, Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann, the Department of
the Taoiseach, the Office of the Tánaiste, the Department of Defence and other
Government Departments; (e) Office premises and other buildings used by local
authorities
Class 10: “Canteen services where food is supplied to employees or prepared on the
premises for the purposes of supply to employees, which— (a) is situated on the site
of construction, development or refurbishment works, and (b) where the duration of
such works exceeds a period of 9 months.”
Class 11: “Stations, Airports, Ports, Harbours and Marinas where trains, planes, and
boats which engage in the supply of food to the public (other than food waste
originating from means of transport operating internationally) unload food waste from
the transportation medium ”Interpretation of Classes For the purposes of Class 3,
“Industrial activity” shall mean any process which is of Classes: carried on in the
course of trade or business, other than agriculture, and which is—
(a) for or incidental to the making of any article or part of an article, or
(b) for or incidental to the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning,
washing, packing, canning, adapting for sale, breaking up or demolition of any article,
including the getting, dressing or treatment of minerals, and for the purposes of this
Class, “article” includes—
(i) A vehicle, aircraft, ship or vessel, or
(ii) A sound recording, film, broadcast, cable programme, publication and computer
program or other original database. For the purposes of Classes 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 to
this Schedule, food is prepared on the premises when it is subject to heating or
to other preparation processes undertaken on that premises. Class 8 to this Schedule
excludes food preparation activities by students and other persons in residential
accommodation where such preparation activities do not form part of any training or
curriculum-based activity.

General Notes
1. In accordance with Regulation 3, these Regulations shall not apply to food waste
that has arisen from a means of transport operating internationally.
2. Where a premises fulfils the criteria for inclusion within any class of
Schedule 1, it shall be regarded as a “Schedule 1 Activity” for the purposes of the
definition of a producer.

Education Sector

The Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 will apply from 1 July 2010
to schools, colleges, universities and adult education training centres where food is
prepared on the premises. The Regulations require all major producers of food waste,

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 to place it into a dedicated bin and ensure that it is not mixed with other waste. A
brown bin collection service must be used so that the collected food waste is
subsequently recycled by composting or by other approved recycling process.
Alternatively, businesses affected by this legislation can transport the food waste
directly to a recycling plant or can treat it themselves by installing a properly
authorised composting unit on the premises where the waste is generated. Besides
resulting in increased recycling, the purpose of the legislation is to comply with EU
legislation. The Landfill Directive requires all EU Member States to reduce the
amount of waste sent to landfill sites by a series of yearly, and increasingly stringent,
targets. A failure to meet these targets may cause Ireland having to pay heavy fines
due to non-compliance with the legislation.

On-Site Composting

Composting Process
Composting is a process in which food waste and other organic waste are broken
down under the presence of oxygen/air to produce compost. This compost can be used
in gardens to grow vegetables and flowers. The composting process is done mostly by
the composting microorganisms that are naturally occurring in waste. The key to
successful composting is to ensure that these composting microorganisms have
optimal conditions such as air and a good mix of food waste with other carbon rich
material.

Regulatory Obligations

If an obligated premises under the Food Waste Regulation decides to set up a

composting unit on its own premises, it needs to ensure that there is full compliance
with all of the relevant environmental and public health legislation. The operator must
apply to its local authority for a certificate of registration1 to authorise this activity, as
this is a requirement of the Waste Management Act. It is also important that the status
of the facility is checked in respect of the need for planning permission.
Separately from the Food Waste Regulations, strict hygiene-related legislation applies
in Ireland to the handling of food waste in order to prevent animal disease. This
legislation is supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This
legislation not only prohibits the feeding of food waste to farm animals, it may also
affect the operation of on-site composting.
Hotels, hospitals, prisons, pubs, schools and other similar institutions can compost
food waste2 on-site provided they:
Do not keep pigs, poultry or ruminants on the premises;
Only food waste produced on the premises is composted; and
The compost produced is only applied on the land of the premises.
If the premise’s adheres to these conditions mentioned above, it does not need to
be approved by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Persons considering

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 establishing an on-site composting unit are advised to contact the Animal By-products
Division at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; to obtain a clear
picture of the relevent legal requirements.

Best Practice Tips

Have only one person responsible for the operation of the composting unit;
Ensure the food waste is blended with other carbon rich materials such as
newspaper,
wood chips, garden branches and materials and this will help the composting
process to
work properly and to avoid smells;
Make sure the blended food waste is turned regularly to allow the aeration of
the material
as the composting microorganisms need air to survive; and
Composting should be undertaken in a suitable location to avoid causing any
nuisance
to neighbours.

Types of Systems

Hotels and other similar premises ie. GMIT may need a larger on-site enclosed
composting unit; which is typically the size of a small car or slightly larger. These
systems typically operate by placing the food waste into them and by adding
woodchips to ensure there is the right mix available for the composting process. Some
systems mechanically move/mix the material to speed up the composting process and
to achieve high temperatures to kill pathogens.
Before you decide to purchase an on-site composting unit, you should ask yourself
the following questions:
How much food waste does the premises generated?
Based on this volume of food waste determine what is the most economical
method of treating food waste – (1) by composting on-site or (2) using a
brown bin service provided by a waste collector
Is there one staff person available to take responsibility of the operation of the
composting unit?
Is there enough land at the premises on which to apply the compost?
Is there a suitable location to place the composting unit on the premises?
Is the premises located in an urban area? If yes, it might be best to instead
use a brown bin collection service.

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 Who Can Advise
Before an on-site composting unit is purchased , it is recommended that GMIT talk to
an existing business that has an on-site composting unit. Contact can be made with
our local Environmental Awareness Officer in our Local Authority to find a local
business with an on-site composting unit.

Galway Sharon
City Hall, College Road, Galway, Co. Galway | (091) 53 65 64 |
City Carroll  Mary
sharon.carroll@galwaycity.ie mary.oleary@galwaycity.ie
Council O’Leary

Recent Case Study

Cork Institute of Technology (CIT)

CIT is conducting a Green Campus project funded by the EPA Science, Technology,
Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme, under phase 4
of the EPA Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP). The project is managed
by the Building & Estates Office and supported by the Clean Technology Centre. CIT
started a food waste collection service in March 2010. Since then the canteen has
achieved the Green Hospitality Award and the Department of Tourism & Hospitality
have received the Gold Level Green Hospitality Award.
So far the following information has been gathered:
Estimated 43 tonnes of food waste to be diverted from landfill this year;
Estimated annual cost savings by using a food waste collection service is
€3,077; and
It is estimated that one tonne of food waste costs €2,000 from purchasing
food, preparation of food and food waste disposal costs.
Currently it is estimated that food waste costs CIT €80,000 per year.
Food waste prevention measures adopted include:
CIT canteen has taken measures to prevent food waste which will further
reduce costs of waste and the purchasing of less food;
The Department of Tourism & Hospitality has recently purchased new
software to optimise purchasing within the department;
Students are involved in the design and implementation of low waste menus;
The canteen weighs the salad plates. Customers pay by weigh and are
therefore less inclined to overload plates;
CIT have a dedicated Green Campus website and newsletters which keep
people informed and ask people to only purchase what they will eat and think
waste prevention etc;
Unused bread used for stuffing;
Attention is paid to portion control; and

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 The Canteen has a ‘Green Team’ which focuses on all aspects of
environmental management.

Best Practice Tips for Using a Brown Bin in a Kitchen

 Provide food waste only bins and ensure they are clearly labelled as “food
waste only”
 Tell staff to put food waste into the food waste only bins
 Check for any food in the general rubbish bins and talk to staff about making
sure this goes into the “food waste only” bins
 Check for any rubbish or recyclables in the ‘food waste only’ collection bins,
and talk to staff about making sure these materials are put into the correct bins
 Inspect the food waste only bins on a daily basis before they are emptied
 Remove any contaminants such as cardboard boxes, polystyrene crates, plastic
drink containers, food packaging etc
 Wash out the food waste only bins and return them to the kitchen staff. The
use of compostable bin bags can significantly reduce cleaning effort required.
Ensure that bin bags used meet European compostable standards EN 13432
 Your Environmental Health Officer will also provide advise

List of Food Waste in a Brown Bin

This list has been prepared for premises specified in the New Food Waste Regulation.
This is not an exhaustive list. This list applies to the following businesses and
organisations: hot food outlets, public houses, canteens, guest houses, B&Bs, hotels,
restaurants, cafes, bistros, wine bars, state and local authority buildings, hospitals,
nursing homes, education sector (schools, colleges, training centres, universities),
stations (airports, ports, harbours and marinas). This food waste can go to the
following food waste recycling plants- composting, anaerobic digestion & rendering.

Shop and Supermarket Food Waste

Butcher Counter Waste
All the raw meat and fish produced at the butcher’s counter can only be processed by
rendering and petfood plants.
Supermarket/Shop Aisle Food Waste

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 It is recommended that the packaging be removed from food waste that
originates from fridges (e.g. out of date meat products, cheese etc), freezers (e.g.
pizzas etc) and shelves (bread, tinned/packaged products) before placing into a
brown bin. This food waste can go to composting plants, anaerobic digestion
plants, rendering and petfood plants. ( ALSO RELEVANT ACROSS THE
BOARD)

Guidance
The website www.foodwaste.ie contains further information about the Food Waste
Regulations. If you would like to learn more about brown bin schemes or the animal
by- product regulations, please contact Cré at t: 086-8129260 or e: info@cre.ie

Examples of Food Waste that Can Go into a Brown Bin:

Food scraps (including Shellfish & bones

cooked/uncooked meat, fish & poultry)
Eggs, egg shells & egg boxes
Soups & sauces
Fruit
Breads, cereals, pasta, dough & rice
Cakes & biscuits
Food soiled paper wet cardboard &
paper (no plastic coated paper)
Dairy products (cheese, yoghurt etc)
Table and plate scrapings
Vegetables
Tea bags, coffee grinds & paper filters
Food soiled paper napkins & paper
towels
Certified compostable plates, cups &
utensils meeting standard EN 13432`

Other Options
There are other options when it comes to composting; these include:

Green waste composting (windrow technology),

Food waste composting facilities (In- vessel / Animal by Product Facilities).

Windrow Technology

Windrow composting is the production of compost by piling organic matter or

biodegradable waste, such as animal manure and crop residues, in long rows (windrows).

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This method is suited to producing large volumes of compost. These rows are generally
turned to improve porosity and oxygen content, mix in or remove moisture, and redistribute
cooler and hotter portions of the pile. This is not really an option for GMIT as it would
require quite a bit of time and input (man-hours) along with monitoring. Composting process
control parameters include the initial ratios of carbon and nitrogen rich materials, the amount
of bulking agent added to assure air porosity, the pile size, moisture content, and turning
frequency. The temperatures of the windrows must be measured and logged constantly to
determine the optimum time to turn the windrows for quicker compost production. Manually
collecting data cannot be done continually and may expose the person collecting the data to
harmful pathogens. Automatically collecting the data and transmitting the data wirelessly
back to a centralized location allows composting temperatures to be continually recorded and
logged, improving efficiency and reducing the time needed to complete a composting cycle.

In Vessel Technology

In Vessel composting is an industrial form of composting biodegradable waste that occurs in

enclosed reactors. These generally consist of metal tanks or concrete bunkers in which air
flow and temperature can be controlled, using the principles of a "bioreactor". Generally the
air circulation is metered in via buried tubes that allow fresh air to be injected under pressure,
with the exhaust being extracted through a biofilter, with temperature and moisture
conditions monitored using probes in the mass to allow maintenance of optimum aerobic
decomposition conditions. This technique is generally used for municipal scale organic waste
processing, including final treatment of sewage biosolids, to a safe stable state for
reclamation as a soil amendment. In-vessel composting can also refer to aerated static pile
composting with the addition of removable covers that enclose the piles. This again would
most likely be unrealistic for GMIT as it would require quite a sizeable area.

Animal By-Product Composting

Animal By-Product Composting is another form of composting but is not relevant in terms of
GMIT and therefore will not be considered at this time.

In The Market Systems that May Benefit GMIT in Waste Management

Having followed some in depth research on the subject of waste management systems it is
my belief that the system required should endeavour to manage the waste generated
throughout the college as a whole and not just the Hotel School in the long term. I feel that
there are really only two options open to GMIT considering the building, location and lack of
open space for any large facility.

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The first one is that of dehydration composting. This system; such as that of the ECCO
Technologies SOMAT ET-500w model are self contained systems and operate as follows:
It is an automated on-site compostable waste decomposition system that decomposes
compostable waste using an energy-efficient and automated control process. The system
requires no enzyme, additives or fresh water during the entirety of the decomposition process.
The system is equipped with water recycling technology that uses the condensate run off to
control the humidity in the processing chamber during the process. The system also recycles
the heat energy reducing overall energy consumption.

The decomposition processing time will vary depending on

the waste input but it is expected that the process time
would be no longer that 24 hours. This unit requires
AC 200/220v, 50/60 Hertz three phase, has an input
capacity of between 660-1100lbs and is finished in
polished stainless steel.

The benefits of such a system

 As much as 9-1 (93%) volume reduction

 Low labour cost- one person operation

 No venting required

 No fresh water connection required

 Greatly reduced landfill costs

 Low maintenance (Company Claim)

 Decomposes compostable waste without using any micro-organisms, enzymes or

additives

 Zero effect on the environment

Disadvantages: At time of research there is no mention of the unit’s ability to render down
bones and carcass from chicken/ beef etc so segregation of food waste would need to be
thorough and brown bin would still be required for such items but on a greatly reduced scale.

Another system that has been considered is that from a company called ENVIROPURE
systems and operates on a wet system. EnviroPure's revolutionary EPW Food Waste Disposal
system is a self-contained, continual feed, organic waste disposal system designed to convert

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food waste into water. The company also offer a dry system which is approximately twice
the length of the wet system but still needs all the requirements to fit.

EPWs technology maintains the system at the optimal temperature and oxygen level to
accelerate the natural aerobic decomposition process. The secret is its proprietary EP-
BioMix medium that provides the natural bacteria already present in the food
with the critical micronutrients required for rapid break down
of food. Organic waste is quickly reduced to a
harmless liquid that is odour free and can be
safely disposed of into existing municipal waste
water systems. EPW systems handle virtually any
kind of food waste including vegetables, fruits,
meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, bones, shells
and pits, with complete decomposition typically
occurring within 24 hours!

EPW System Benefits

 NO odours, NO sludge build-up, NO clean outs

 Eliminates pick-up & hauling costs for food waste
 Fixed predictable future food waste disposal costs
 Fully automated low cost system operation
 Reduced operational issues and costs relating to odour, pest and vermin control
 Improved operational and work flow efficiencies including reduction in work place
injury potential from manual transfer of food waste to dumpster
 Reduced janitorial labour and supply costs
 Reduced security risk at secure facilities through reduced physical access and hauling
frequency
 Positive environmental impact
 NO harmful methane emissions
 Waste diversion from landfill
 Effluent can be re-used for irrigation & agricultural applications
 Reduction in CO2 emissions from waste hauling and processing
 NO groundwater contamination
 Improved public relations & employee workplace conditions
 Can take all food sources including bones
 Brown bins would not be required.

Disadvantages

 A larger unit than that by Ecco Technologies

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  Requires access to cold water supply within 10ft of install location (EPW system
only)
 Requires access to drain or waste water hook up within 15ft of install location (EPW
system only)
 Requires 1ft minimum clearance on all sides of system
 Licence may be required from relevant authorities to operate such a system
 Imminent introduction of water charge’s, may hinder the cost effectiveness of such a
system.

The third system, comes from a company called Mechline; and have a system called
waste2O. This is again a wet system and will not take bones as far as I can gather.

Everything biodegradable turns into grey water and is sent straight to the drain, using existing
services and saving you the hassle of dealing with solid food waste. There is less
need to store food waste, reducing odour and vermin problems, whilst improving
space.

Food waste is added to the chamber through the hatch. Micro-organisms

digest food waste while breaking down fats, oils & grease
(FOGs). Grey water is the only output, no solids to manage.

Benefits

 All solids reduced to grey water

 Encourages recycling
 Improves carbon footprint
 Fewer waste collections
 Future Proofs against increasing collection charges
 Safe for drains – using existing infrastructure

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  Reduces odour and vermin problems
 Compact, hygienic, easy-to-use, on-site solution

Disadvantages

The system is smaller than the other two although it claims that it can manage up to 180kgs
of food waste in 24hrs dimensions Width 1095mm Depth 1015mm Height 1435mm

 Cannot take anything too hard such as large seeds e.g. mango, avocado or corn husks
or pineapple tops
 Requires a warm water connection (50⁰C)
 Requires a foul water drain connection
 May require a licence to operate the system
 Imminent introduction of water charge’s, may hinder the cost effectiveness of such a
system.

Conclusion

Having evaluated the systems on offer and the requirements of GMIT in its need to better
waste manage, it would be a considered opinion that if a system were to be installed then; it
should be something along the lines of the one offered but Enviropure.

Although this system may require a licence to operate and needs a few ancillary services the
fact that this system will also take the bones etc, of which we use quite a bit in the Hotel
school makes it a clear choice. By installing such a piece of equipment there should be in
theory no need for the brown bins, and the segregation issue would be minimal, as this
system at least on paper could literally take what was thrown into it from a food prospective.
The down side of the system is that with the imminent introduction of the water charge the
system may not be as cost effective as first appeared, this is something that needs to looked
into. However, this piece of equipment could also help with the food waste from the canteen

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area which would again further reduce the refuse collection bill considerably in the long term
for GMIT.

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