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Project title

Optimised Plus- Food Waste Collected from Apartments

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Foster Environmental Limited

Lead Applicant

Percy Foster

Project Abstract

Food waste collection trials have been conducted in Ireland, mainly focused on street level properties served with kerbside collection. In addition, three trials involving apartments have been completed. All of the above studies have a common element: the provision of a 7-litre kitchen caddy, a temporary supply of compostable liners, and the provision of an information leaflet. These key education tools have been proven to encourage residents to recycle food waste in Ireland. Without pre-empting a literature review of food waste collection trials and discussions with the stakeholders forum in the design of the trials. We will avoid repeating what has been proven to date. Instead, we will focus on how to improve this model by assessing the ‘user friendliness of the system’, e.g. the best location (drop off on way out of building/ communal waste area in the car park) of the receiving food waste bin, nudging interventions of residents behaviour and to a lesser extent financial incentivisation . There will be greater emphasis on trials which encourages residents to participate in a comfortable, easy collection system and by interventions to nudge their behaviour. This is because waste charges don’t greatly influence residents as the waste fees are part of an overall annual management charges for the apartment block. For the future collection of food waste from apartments, it is vital there is no contamination to ensure compost and digestate has no negative impact on soil. Quality standards for compost and digestate will have stricter limits on plastics, meaning it will become environmentally prudent to collect clean food waste. In a recent EPA project on compost and digestate quality standards, it was determined that the greatest risk to achieving the required standard is contamination of the input feedstock. We will conduct waste characterisation studies before and after each trial to assess the impact on the quality of the food waste collected. Our concept is as follows: • Through widespread stakeholder engagement in Ireland and abroad, we will gather knowledge and review literature on successful trials and established schemes in the collection of food waste in apartments. • We will also seek information on schemes and trials which have not been as successful in order to ensure we avoid any potential pitfalls. • On the basis of this literature review and knowledge gathering, we will design trials in conjunction with a forum of key stakeholders. These will build on previous trials in Ireland and aim to optimise capture by examining the ‘user friendliness of the system’, such as the location of the 140-litre food waste bin, nudging interventions of residents behaviour and incentivisation. • The basic principles of a QAS for the collection of waste from apartments will be explored. • The quality of food waste collected will be monitored by conducting waste characterisation studies. • We will recommend a model template for the collection of food waste from existing apartments and for the future design of new apartments. This will include any recommendations to changes in planning legislation.

Grant Approved

�189,700.00

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

27/03/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

26/03/2025