Dr Tim Evans, environmental expert, has been awarded the James Hill Prize by the Institution of Civil Engineers for his paper on ‘Domestic food waste – the carbon and financial cost of the options’. Dr Evans has found that food waste disposers offer a viable option for managing domestic food waste sustainably, and offer the additional benefit of high user acceptance.
The domestic food waste disposer is used extensively throughout Australasia and the USA, but is under-represented in Europe, where sewerage engineers are apprehensive about the output.
The paper discusses the difficulties presented by food waste. Some consumers, especially those in flats and city terraces are unwilling to separate and store their food waste for kerbside collection. Others are unable to compost. Additionally, the global warming potential from landfill, incineration and centralised composting is relatively high. The paper reviews published research and analyses fourteen years of data from community-wide installation of food waste disposers in a town Sweden as part of its waste management programme. The programme has proved effective with more recycling and much less disposed to landfill. Sweden is considered a world leader in environmental policy and practice. The data showed that even when food waste disposers were installed and used in 50 per cent of households the wastewater treatment works’ cost did not increase but biogas production increased by 46 per cent. The average water use and the chemical and biological load on sewerage systems all decreased but not statistically significantly; thus any fears of negative impact proved unfounded.
Ashley Munden, Managing Director InSinkErator® Europe, says: “We wholeheartedly congratulate Tim on his great achievement. InSinkErator® welcomes the scientific scrutiny of experts in the field and Tim’s work has added immeasurably to the vast and growing international evidence base that supports the use of domestic food waste disposers.
“Tim’s paper proves once again that this incredible household appliance is currently underrated and needs exposure at all levels”.
For the retailer the food waste disposer it is not only a great in-sink gadget but it does a fundamentally worthwhile job, conveniently disposing of household food waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.
There has never been a better time for the retailer to introduce the consumer to this incredible appliance, and it is one that makes a handsome difference to the bottom line too.
For more information about InSinkErator® products or your nearest stockist call 01923 297 880 or visit the company’s website at www.insinkerator.co.uk
