The Food and agriculture organisation goals.
On 25 September 2015, the 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, global objectives expected to guide the actions of the international community over the next 15 years (2016-2030).
The 2030 Agenda offers a vision of a fairer, more peaceful world in which no one is left behind.
“The 2030 Agenda offers a vision for food and agriculture as key to sustainable development. FAO possesses experience and expertise in supporting policy-making, partnership-building, and projects and programmes built on 3-dimensional sustainability. Both the SDGs and FAO’s strategic framework are geared towards tackling the root causes of poverty and hunger, building a fairer society and leaving no one behind.”
The main factor of the FAO’s process is to reduce food waste in the home, business, retail and restaurant, farm, field, and production line.
As a business, it is essential that we are constantly aware of the changes and goals set by the FAO and create products that are usable and support the targets being set.
Why should we recycle food waste?
The UN Food and the Agriculture Organisation claim that each year nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted across the globe.
Food wastage occurs at the various levels of the food system, namely farming, processing, transporting, retailing, cooking, and consuming.
When this waste food gets to the landfills, the massive layers of organic waste decompose and produce greenhouse gases (GHG) such as methane that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas.
Diversion of food waste away from the landfills can reduce our carbon footprint, capture renewable energy, and restore the essential nutrients back to the soil. Food waste is recyclable and hence must be used smartly to trim down the greenhouse emissions that come from landfills.
Here are four effective and environment-friendly ways to recycle food waste, reducing the cost and the pollution that is generated when the organic waste is hauled and disposed of inline with the FAO.
The 4 areas to consider are:
- Composting (this is the area we are focusing on today.)
- Donating waste for animal feeds (or having animals such as chickens yourself, that produce not only eggs but great fertiliser for the garden, a true circular economic solution!)
- Converting food scraps into a Biogas. (Obviously not easy to be done at home, however there are current products being developed that are attempting to do this.)
- Reusing the food packaging material.
As a business we provide quality food waste and recycling products from 5 to 75 litre’s (with a multi sorting stacking system currently in development.) These are capable of being created in recycled material, from product not only from our site, but from councils and other suppliers that are utilising our UK based Recycling Plant and Manufacturing Unit.
All our products have been tested within the household, with kerbside teams within a variety of settings, and have gained positive feedback and praise.
We fully support what other organisations are endeavouring to achieve, following closely the guidelines of WRAP, and continue to develop new and innovative approaches, enabling us as a business, to have a minimal carbon footprint, and achieve a circular economic business.
Our products can be used in many stages of the food waste recycling process, within the home, kerbside collection, and as you commence composting, within your garden, street or local area. Many of the products are versatile and adaptable and are environmentally sound as a large percentage are created from recycled material.
What should you compost?
For a quick composting experience, we recommend the following items.
- Animal manure with straw
- Annual weeds
- Bindweed
- Bracken
- Brussels sprout stalk
- Carrot tops
- Citrus peel
- Coffee grounds
- Comfrey leaves
- Cut flowers
- Deadly Nightshade
- Fruit peelings and pulp
- Fruit seeds
- Grass cuttings
- Hay
- Hedge clippings
- House plants
- Ivy leaves
- Nettles
- Old bedding plants
- Perennial weeds
- Poisonous plants
- Rhubarb leaves
- Seaweed
- Soft pruning’s and plant debris
- Tea leaves and bags
- Vegetable peelings and pulp
Slower to rot, so worth alternating between layers of the quick rotting compo-stable matter:
- Autumn leaves
- Cardboard
- Christmas tree
- Corn starch liners
- Cotton towels
- Cotton wool
- Egg boxes
- Eggshells
- Evergreen pruning’s
- Hair
- Natural corks
- Nuts
- Paper bags
- Privet
- Straw
- Sweetcorn cobs
- Thorny pruning’s
- Tomato plants
- Used kitchen paper
- Vacuum cleaner contents
- Wood ash
- Wool
I Might be cute but don’t compost my poop!
There are certain materials and waste products that should not be included these are:
- Bones
- Bread
- Cans
- Cat litter
- Cigarette ends
- Cling film
- Coal ash
- Crisp packets
- Dairy products
- Disposable nappies
- Dog faeces
- Dog food
- Drink cartons
- Meat and fish scraps
- Olive oil
- Plastic bags
- Plastic bottles
- Soiled tissues
(*Some of the above do have other uses, and many are recyclable, however, every council is different, so check your Local Authorities restrictions, if you are not composting, it is important to check what your Local Authority accepts, often collections are refused due to incorrect food waste being included.)
People are concerned about the storage of food waste, encouraging unwanted vermin, and attracting attention from animals.
Chicken proof, fox proof caddy!
Our 24 Litre Fox Proof caddy is an excellent option, proven to be fox proof, “pug” proof and element proof, this caddy is perfect for urban areas, and for those living in rural spaces. The 24 Litre food waste caddy is compact has a small footprint and is easily accessible to tip food waste from smaller caddies and containers.
As a business and a group, we continue to innovate and adhere to recommendations from leading authorities, we encourage you as individuals, families, and households to recycle food waste where possible.
To find out more contact our business development team here.
