Food Waste Segregation and Treatment
Overview of Food Waste Management:
Food waste is one of the major waste streams identified with a high generation tonnage but low recycling rate. The amount of food waste generated in all over the world is expected to increase in tandem with population and economic growth. About 750,000 tonnes of food waste yearly of which only less than 20 per cent are recycled. Food waste that are not recycled are disposed of at Singapore’s Waste to-Energy (WtE) plants for incineration.
Importance Of Food Waste Segregation and Recycling:
While the preferred approach is to prevent the generation of food waste at source, not all food waste is avoidable (e.g., bones, shells/husks). Food waste that cannot be avoided should be recycled where possible.
Food waste can be recycled into useful resources or products such as animal feed, compost/ fertiliser, non-potable water or biogas for energy generation, instead of being incinerated at the WtE plants. There is potential for homogeneous food waste such as spent grains, okara waste, bread waste, and fruit and vegetable waste to be converted into products with higher value, for instance animal feed, cleaning agent etc.
In addition, segregating food waste for treatment provides other benefits such as reducing odour and pest nuisances at the premises and contamination of recyclables, which allows greater resource recovery.
To ensure the successful implementation of food waste recycling/treatment, it is crucial for food waste to be properly segregated from non-food waste items.
Implementation of Food Waste Segregation:
Step-by-step guide on implementing proper food waste segregation.
Step 1: Identify the locations within your premises where food waste is generated
Common locations include kitchens (where food preparation waste such as vegetable trimmings are generated) and dishwashing or tray-return areas (where post-consumer food waste is collected).
Step 2: Decide the location(s) to segregate food waste
Food waste segregation point(s) can be located independently or co-located with existing waste collection points within the premises, such as bin centres or tray-return areas.
Step 3: Set up a segregation process at identified locations(s)
Resources to Support Food Waste Segregation:
Dedicated Food Waste Segregation and Collection Receptacles
Food retail tenants and stallholders who face space constraints can segregate their food waste using smaller plastic containers within their shop spaces. The bigger MGBs can be deployed at centralised collection points (e.g., tray return areas or bin centres) for stakeholders to dispose of their segregated food waste prior to on-site treatment or collection for off-site treatment.
It is also important to have clearly labelled food waste receptacles to allow stakeholders to easily identify the correct point for the disposal of segregated food waste. The labels should be on the lid and side(s) of the bins so that they are clearly visible. This helps to prevent stakeholders from mistaking the food waste bins as general waste bins. The dedicated food waste receptacles can also be colour-coded to distinguish them from general waste bins.
A general waste bin should be placed beside the food waste bin with clear labels for both bins. This reduces the contamination of food waste with non-food waste.
Educational Materials with Clear Instructions
The provision of educational materials with clear instructions can improve stakeholders’ awareness of the food waste treatment project and ensure proper food waste segregation. Educational materials such as posters can be displayed at the food waste segregation and collection points (e.g. tray return area) where food waste is being segregated.
Educational materials should preferably comprise the following:
Depending on the type of treatment solutions adopted (e.g. on-site vs off-site, aerobic vs anaerobic), or the different types of treatment systems, the types of food waste that can be recycled may differ. Owners of premises who are planning to install or have adopted on-site food waste treatment should check with their system suppliers on the types of food waste that can be accepted by the system.
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The use of visual aid and prompts such as photographs of the segregated food waste can enhance stakeholders’ level of understanding and help to reinforce the importance of proper segregation of food waste.
Clear Signage at Food Waste Collection Points
Setting up prominent food waste collection points with clear signage such as banners and posters helps the proper disposal of segregated food waste into dedicated food waste collection bins.
For example, NEA conducted a food waste segregation pilot at Tampines West, where segregated food waste was collected from nearby coffee shops and food retail establishments. The food waste collection point is co-located with the existing bin centre and a banner was displayed to clearly indicate the food waste recycling corner where the food waste collection bins are placed.
Owners of some premises with food waste segregation also co-located their food waste collection points with existing recycling corners where other recyclables are segregated for collection.
Outreach Programmes for Stakeholders
Apart from having the hardware to facilitate food waste segregation, it is also important to conduct engagement and training programmes to engage stakeholders’ participation and support for the project.
There could be potential cost savings reaped from the segregation of food waste for treatment, particularly if owners and operators adopt a variable waste collection contract, where waste disposal cost is dependent on the amount of waste disposed of. Premises can also reap savings from reduced haulage fees when food waste is treated on-site. The savings from food waste segregation and treatment could be passed on to stakeholders (e.g., tenants, staff, contractors) to encourage and sustain their participation in food waste segregation.
Owners and operators can also recognise stakeholders’ participation in food waste segregation. For instance, where compost is generated from food waste treatment, owners and operators can share the compost with stakeholders who could use it for gardening. Owners and operators of premises could also develop a recognition scheme to show appreciation for stakeholders’ participation in segregating their food waste.
Food Waste Treatment Options:
An overview of food waste treatment options and considerations for each treatment option. The type of option can be classified into two categories: on-site and off-site.
On-site treatment refers to the installation of treatment system within the building premises to treat segregated food waste, while off-site treatment refers to the sending of segregated food waste to be treated at a licensed waste disposal facility not within the premises where the food waste was generated.
ON-SITE FOOD WASTE TREATMENT
Owners and operators of premises who wish to implement on-site food waste treatment can consider adhering to the steps in the flowchart below.
OFF-SITE FOOD WASTE TREATMENT
For owners and operators of premises that are not able to adopt on-site treatment due to limitations such as space constraints, they may opt to send their food waste for offsite treatment.
To do so, they are required to engage an NEA-licensed General Waste Collector (GWC) with Class B licence for the transportation of segregated food waste to a licensed waste disposal facility for treatment. An example of a licensed waste disposal facility for the treatment of segregated food waste will be the upcoming food waste treatment facility in Tuas Nexus (expected to be operational in 2024).
For premises generating homogeneous food waste (e.g. okara waste, spent grains, bread waste), they can contact local food waste recycling companies to process the food waste into animal feed or other value added products.
Reviewing the Food Waste Segregation Process:
Following the implementation of food waste segregation, owners and operators of premises should continue to engage stakeholders on proper food waste segregation and monitor the success of the food waste segregation and treatment project. Proposed monitoring parameters are: