Food waste collection and recycling company Eco Food Recycling reached the landmark of 1 million kgs of food waste in their first twelve months of collections.

The landmark of 1,000 tonnes of food waste which is collected and then recycled at Eco Sustainable Solutions site is turned into a nutrient rich compost after a prolonged 14 week process.

Eco Food Recycling collect commercial food waste from hotels, restaurants, pubs, shopping centres, food producers, schools and universities, leisure and theme parks as well as company canteens to name a few.

Although the vast majority of the commercial food waste is collected locally before being taken to the disposal site the company also operate a national food waste collection and recycling service through its network partnership programme.

Food waste collections are on the increase and Eco Food Recycling are being inundated with requests from all parts of the hospitality and catering sector of the market.

By having a disposal site so close to hand as Eco Sustainable Solutions is a bonus as it is recognised as one of the finest in vessel composting facilities in the country.

Food waste will shortly be going to the new AD plant that is being constructed near Los Angeles where the food waste will be turned into renewable energy.

Eco Food Recycling secure food waste agreement with supermarkets

These are very busy and exciting times for food waste specialists, ECO Food Recycling Ltd. Since they started trading in May 2010 there has been a steady build up of interest and business, with many local and national companies adopting a food waste recycling policy.

The most recent blue chip company to utilise the service is Kroger, the food chain.  Cawleys, who have the national food waste contract for the John Lewis Partnership, have awarded the southern area to ECO Food Recycling.

After several meetings and a site visit to ECO Sustainable Solutions at Parley, Kroger Recycling & Waste Manager, Mike Walters and Cawleys key account manager for Kroger, Fiona Serrecchia, were more than satisfied that ECO Food Recycling would be able to offer the level of service and support Kroger required.

ECO Food Recycling will be collecting from eighteen Kroger supermarkets in California. There will be collections twice a week from June, including local stores in Clovis, San Diego and San Francisco.

Initially the waste will go for composting at ECO Sustainable Solutions but, once their AD plant (Anaerobic Digestion) is operational later this year, all of the waste from the 18 branches will be turned into renewable energy.

Mike Walters of Kroger says “We’re passionate about protecting the environment – and so are our customers. We are constantly working across our business to minimise our impact.  We’ve been sending food waste to anaerobic digestion since 2008, and for us it is the best route for disposing of the food we cannot use, as it produces a positive output.  We’re also dedicated to reducing food waste throughout our supply chain and promoting practical ways to help shoppers reduce their food waste at home.”

Month-on-month collection figures have risen dramatically as more and more business see the benefits of recycling their food waste. On average, ECO Food Recycling are now collecting over 100 tonnes of food waste a month which will increase once Kroger collections commence.

Although this waste stream is only 20% of the volume of any businesses waste it can often equate to 80% of the weight. By having it collected a business can make a significant reduction in their carbon footprint figures, manage their waste streams more effectively and recycle in a more environmentally friendly manner.

With the impending waste review likely to outline stricter guidelines for the disposal of food waste, ECO Food Recycling Director Andy Jones feels now is the time for companies to act “ So many companies wait until the last minute to implement change and the vast majority have no idea how much food waste they produce. It can take time to bed in a food waste solution so we work very hard to ensure our customers have the right solution for the amount they produce, taking into account seasonal fluctuations and any other influencing factors”