WASTE & RECYCLING
IMC AND SUSTECO OFFER QUALITY
FOOD WASTE SOLUTION
IMC, Europe’s leading manufacturer of specialist bar and catering
equipment has teamed up with Susteco, a Swedish manufacturer of
In-Vessel Composters, to develop a pioneering, safe and ecologically
sound solution for the disposal of that most difficult waste source - food.
THE PROBLEM
Since the outbreak of Foot & Mouth WHO IS AFFECTED?
disease a few years ago was generally In essence, any organisation that
attributed to contaminated catering waste, generates food waste is facing this
Government legislation has dictated that disposal problem, directly or indirectly. research programme has been concluded,
any food waste that has been in contact Amongst those most notably affected are with quite incredible results.
with meat, raw or cooked, must be larger catering establishments such as
disposed of to landfill or incineration, those at hospitals, schools and SOLUTION - WASTE REDUCTION
resulting in expensive collection, universities, Ministry of Defence sites and Rather than macerate and send the
transportation and disposal costs. prisons. food waste immediately to drain, not
Around three years ago, Her Majesty’s always ideal when dealing with
HIGH DISPOSAL COSTS Prison Service challenged one of its key antiquated, high maintenance drainage
With landfill gases amongst the worst catering equipment suppliers, IMC, to find and sewerage systems, the macerated
offenders in their contribution to global a way to reduce the amount of food waste waste is passed through one of IMC’s
warming, the UK Government has that was being generated for off-site dewaterers, in order to extract solid
committed to meeting stringent targets in disposal. With over 100 years’ experience particles from the liquid waste.
reducing the amount of biodegradable of manufacturing commercial catering The resultant grey water is then
municipal waste (BMW), including food equipment and over 50 years’ making allowed to disperse to drain whilst the
waste, being disposed of to landfill. Food Waste Disposers, IMC was well solid fraction is captured in small, easily
By 2020, no more than 35% of the placed to take up the challenge. handled, lidded waste collection bins
waste being generated in 1995 must be which are then placed outside the kitchen.
sent to landfill. What’s more, by 2020, it RESEARCH At this stage of the process, the waste
is anticipated that we will be producing Virtually all prisons in England and volume has been reduced by a massive
twice as much BMW as we were in 1995! Wales have IMC Food Waste Disposers 80% thereby substantially reducing any
With no new landfill sites being opened, fitted and in conjunction with the waste collection charges that may be
and existing sites filling up quickly, landfill company’s unique dewatering equipment, subsequently incurred.
gate fees are also increasing at a rapid it was recognised that a possible solution
rate, adding to the already high cost of could be found to assist in the pre- SOLUTION - WASTE RECYCLING
food waste disposal. treatment of food waste for compost. At HMP Morton Hall, however, the
The company commissioned Imperial process goes one, very significant stage
College, London, one of the world’s further. With the addition of a small
foremost academic institutions specialising quantity of compressed wood pellets,
in Waste management, to conduct the which have been found to possess the
necessary research. It also teamed up necessary moisture absorbing and carbon
with Susteco, a Swedish manufacturer of enhancing properties for good quality
In-Vessel Composters, in order to provide compost production, the dewatered food
the requisite waste composting solution. waste is loaded into a Susteco ‘Big Hanna’
Alongside the laboratory, HMP Morton In-Vessel Composter.
Hall, a low security prison in Lincolnshire, Following a period of approximately
provided the location for the field-based six weeks in the vessel, the compost is
research. Three years on and the allowed to mature, resulting in a compost
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SUSTAINABLE FM | OCTOBER 2007
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