What are the Benefits of Recycling Food Waste in Business?

Food waste is an inevitable part of any business that deals with food, but the amount we produce and how we dispose of it can make a huge impact on our environment. In the UK alone, 9 million tonnes of food were wasted in 2018, which could have been used to feed those who are hungry.

What is food waste? 

Food waste is a pervasive problem that affects every aspect of the food supply chain, from farms to households. It’s defined as any edible material that is discarded, whether it’s because it has gone bad or is past its expiration date. However, food waste also includes inedible parts like peels, seeds, and pits that must be thrown away.

Interestingly enough, this definition isn’t limited to just expired or unwanted produce; it also encompasses crops that were not harvested due to changes in demand or logistical issues. This means that even before the products reach stores and restaurants, there are already instances where perfectly good food goes to waste.

What is food waste

Further down the supply chain lie unsold foods, both prepared and unprepared. Restaurants often prepare more food than they need for their customers’ convenience but end up throwing out excess dishes at the end of each day. Supermarkets may discard items nearing their best-by dates despite still being safe for consumption.

Food waste continues to be a significant issue worldwide, with various causes throughout the entire process of bringing goods from farms to tables.

What are the Benefits of Recycling Food Waste?

Save on Waste Management Costs 

Food waste is a significant problem that plagues many businesses and homes. It not only harms the environment, but it also costs money to manage. Every year, food waste management services cost businesses billions of dollars in dumpster fees and hauling expenses.

Conducting a waste audit is one way to reduce these costs. By analyzing your business’s current practices, you can identify areas where food waste is being generated unnecessarily. For example, you may be throwing away perfectly edible food that has passed its expiration date or purchasing too much inventory at once.

Save on Waste Management Costs

Once you understand where your waste comes from, you can take steps to minimize it. This could include adjusting your ordering habits or changing how certain foods are prepared and served.

Reducing food waste not only saves on disposal costs but also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced by landfills. By taking steps to implement an effective food recycling program, businesses can lower their environmental impact while simultaneously saving money on rubbish removal services.

Conducting a waste audit is an important first step toward reducing unnecessary spending on dumpster services. With some effort and careful planning, companies can reduce their environmental footprint while cutting down on operational expenses associated with managing food waste.

Less bulk for landfills 

When most people think of food waste, they assume that it will decompose and become part of the soil because food is biodegradable. However, this is not always the case. Composting the food waste requires a balance of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ materials which may not be maintained with food waste, making it difficult to compost.

Furthermore, packed landfills do not allow for airflow which is necessary for composting. Food waste may also contain oils and fats which are not conducive to composting. As a result, when food waste ends up in landfills, it does not benefit the soil, as many believe.

Less bulk for landfills

The more we add to landfills, the more space we need to accommodate all the waste. This means clearing out trees and vegetation to make room for these massive piles of trash.

Recycling food waste significantly reduces the burden on landfills while also allowing by-products such as biofuel and fertilizer to be created from recycled materials.

By recycling our food waste instead of sending it off to landfill sites where it won’t properly decompose or break down into useful resources like fertilizers or fuel sources – we can reduce our environmental impact while creating new economic opportunities!

Improve Your Business’ Image

Adopting a food recycling plan is not only good for the environment, but it can also do wonders for your business’s image. Taking meaningful steps towards sustainability demonstrates to customers that your company cares about the planet and takes responsibility for its impact – a crucial factor in today’s world of environmentally conscious consumers.

By promoting your program through social media or other marketing channels, you can generate positive publicity centering on your commitment to being eco-friendly.

Improve Your Business’ Image

This could help draw in new customers who prioritize sustainability when making purchasing decisions. Additionally, this action not only helps the environment, it can also save money on waste management costs over time – fostering customer loyalty while contributing positively to society at large!

At Express Waste Removals, we believe that dealing with food waste in the best way possible is not only environmentally responsible but also makes economic sense for businesses. As waste management experts, we provide specialist recycling solutions that are both eco-friendly and wallet-friendly for businesses across various sectors.

Are Egg Cartons Recyclable?

Do you ever wonder what to do with your empty egg cartons? Are they simply trash, or can they be recycled? The answer may surprise you! In this blog post, we will explore the world of egg carton recycling and provide tips on how to properly dispose of them while also helping the environment. So, grab your coffee and get ready to learn about the fascinating world of egg carton recycling!

Types of Egg Cartons

There are a few different types of egg cartons, so it can be hard to know which ones can be recycled.

Types of Egg Cartons

Here are some of the types of egg cartoons:

  • Pulp egg cartons
  • Egg boxes
  • Egg flats, egg crate, and egg sleeves
  • Foam egg cartons

Recycling Symbols on Egg Cartons

Egg cartons have a recycling symbol on them. This means that the cardboard can be recycled. You can easily recycle them. If they don’t have any symbols, you need to find out the material of the carton. This way, you can make a decision whether it can be recycled or not.

Material Composition of Egg Cartons

The material composition of egg cartons typically includes a plastic liner and cardboard shell. Some types of materials that can be found in egg cartons include vinyl, polyethene, polypropylene, and paper.

Material Composition of Egg Cartons

Vinyl

Vinyl is a type of plastic that is often used in the production of egg cartons because it is strong, lightweight, and heat resistant.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a type of plastic that is often used in the production of egg cartons because it is durable, flexible, and heat resistant.

 Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a type of plastic that is often used in the production of egg cartons because it has good physical properties (it’s tough), low environmental impact (it’s non-toxic), and low cost.

Paper

Paper is a common material found in egg cartons because it’s environmentally friendly (its manufacturing doesn’t have many negative effects), easy to print on (with inkjet printers), and inexpensive to produce.

Challenges in Recycling Egg Cartons

The use of egg cartons has decreased in recent years as more and more people choose to buy organic or cage-free eggs. The environmental benefits of choosing these eggs are clear, but recycling the cartons presents some challenges.

Egg cartons are made from a number of materials, including plastic, paper and cardboard. Recycling them all individually can be difficult and time-consuming. In order to recycle them together into new products, companies must first find a suitable recycling process for each material.

Many recycling companies opt to recycle plastic and cardboard separately since they can be processed more easily. The paper is often recycled into new printed materials, like packaging or advertising.

Are Egg Cartons Recyclable?

Are Egg Cartons Recyclable

Yes, It can be recycled, but it depends on the material it is made up of. Egg cartons are often recycled because they are made of PS Plastic, which is a type of plastic that can be melted and formed into new products. Plastic bottles, egg cartons, and other types of plastics can be recycled by breaking them down into small pieces and then converting them into pellets. Pellets can then be melted and reformed into new products.

Other ways to Reuse/Recycle Egg Cartons

The environmental benefits of recycling egg cartons are many. Not only do they reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, but also they’re a valuable resource when it comes to creating new products.

Here are the ways to reuse egg cartons:

Composting 

Egg cartons make great compost materials because they’re made from durable materials and have high water content. Add them to your regular compost pile along with other organic materials for added nutrients and microbial activity.

Crafting

You can create beautiful crafts out of recycled egg cartons! Cut them into pieces or use them whole for projects like vases, coasters, ornaments and more.

Using as insulation

Junk mail, old magazines and even shredded egg cartons make great insulation for enclosing things in spaces like attics, under eaves or around pipes.

Conclusion

Eco-friendly practices with egg cartons can help reduce the amount of litter created when used and help to protect the environment. Many waste recycling centres will accept egg cartons, and they can be shredded for use in animal feed or composted. In some cases, plasticizers in the plastics used to make egg cartons can leach into the food, so it is important to handle them with care.

How to Make Compost With Food Waste?

Many of you have been producing veggies from your vegetable scraps in recent months, including lettuce and celery stubs, spring onion roots, and shoots from your carrots and beetroots. Your sprouting vegetables will eventually need to be replanted in nutrient-rich soil. Did you know that you could produce your compost at home from food scraps rather than purchasing it online? With the help of this instruction, you can make compost at home and reduce your food waste even more.

What is compost?

What is compost

Compost is a fertiliser generated by humans from decomposed materials. It is nutrient-rich and aids in the growth of gardens. In the meantime, the soil is the top layer of the earth that includes minerals and rock fragments along with some organic waste substance. Compost is crucial because it improves soil quality, aids in nutrient and water retention, and lowers the risk of plant diseases.

What to compost?

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps
  • Coffee grounds, including the filter
  • Bread, pasta, and baked goods
  • Rice and other grains
  • Beans, nuts, and seeds
  • Eggshells
  • Meat
  • Bones
  • Yogurt, milk, and other dairy products
  • Dried leaves
  • Grass clippings
  • Straw and hay
  • Newspaper and other non-glossy papers, torn into pieces
  • Cardboard, torn into pieces

What not  to Compost

  • Weeds
  • Plastic
  • Waxed cardboard
  • Coated paper or cardboard
  • Metal
  • Glass

How to compost food at home?

The way you dispose of your food waste can significantly affect the world and the environment. Have you considered what happens to the lettuce bags and potato peelings after you throw them in the trash? To make the most of your kitchen’s leftovers, check out our inventive dishes, like our potato peeling crisps.

Composting food waste at home is one technique to lessen the quantity of food waste that ends up in landfills. The bokashi system and worm composting are two solutions that are becoming more and more popular. Although they appear frightening, they are not.

How to compost food at home

Both bin systems are simple to use and may be easily found online (complete with everything needed to get started). I have both at home (in an apartment with a balcony), and a combination of planning meals, doing little-to-no buying, and composting food waste has led to nearly nil food waste in my home. You don’t need both; just pick the option that best fits your living space.

The bokashi composting system

The bokashi composting system

An anaerobic composting system called bokashi typically consists of two bins that are each about the size of a waste paper basket. It ferments kitchen waste into nutritious liquid compost for your plants using a specific inoculated bran. When you take the lid off after each layer of waste you add, bran sprinkle it with, level it out, and let it alone it could smell a little pickly, but if it bothers you, something is wrong. There is only the occasional requirement to drain out the juice it generates.

The benefits of having a bokashi system

  • Its small size means that a large garden is not necessary.
  • Surprisingly, the bokashi doesn’t smell when the cover is on, therefore it may be stored indoors. When the bins are almost full, you might at most detect a faint pickle-like smell.
  • Make your compost by filling your bin to the top, securing the lid, and letting it sit for at least five weeks to begin the pickling process. Then, dig the contents into your garden soil after neutralising the acid with a sprinkle of garden lime.

Worm composting

Worm composting

As they move up through the bin’s trays and consume food waste, the worms create amazing vermicompost in their wake. Similar to bokashi, you also get compost that can be incorporated into the soil and a liquid that can be fed to plants (tomatoes love it).

The benefits of worm composting

  • Your plants and lawn will appreciate the amazing soil-improving properties of the nutrient-rich fertiliser compost.
  • Vegetables and houseplants love the “worm tea.”
  • Kids would enjoy it since watching healthy vermiculture is so fascinating.
  • It is simple to set up, plus you’re not affecting the environment, you are saving it.

DIY kitchen waste compost bin

Start by drilling a few holes in the bucket’s bottom and sides. So that air can enter underneath and keep the contents from getting anaerobic, you will need something to keep the bucket lifted off the ground. To collect any water that leaks out of the bucket during composting, place a tray underneath. This liquid, also known as compost tea, can be used as fertiliser for your garden by simply adding it there.

How Does Composting Help the Environment?

Composting has a number of environmental advantages as well as financial savings in waste management. Composting processes are more environmentally friendly when it comes to decreasing landfill waste. It is a waste-to-organic conversion process. Compostable materials include food scraps, papers, garden leaves, and food waste.

Composting is the most effective technique to achieve a zero-waste solution to environmental issues while lowering our carbon footprint. Composting is a good option if you care about the environment. We’ve discussed the environmental advantages of composting in this article.

Why Compost? Here’s How Compost Helps the Environment

Take a moment to consider what you ate for breakfast today. Every delectable taste, from strawberries to extra crispy bacon, can be traced back to the earth. We are literally fed by the dirt! Composting is simply paying it forward.

Compost is a soil-like mixture of decomposing organic matter (in the sense of living organic matter, not farming operations) and a thriving community of microbes that aid in the decomposition process. Garden rubbishes like lawn trimmings, leaf, mulch, grass cuttings, some paperboards, and leftover food such as raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, grains, nutshells, coffee grounds, and even meat and dairy products are also the organic components that makeup compost.

Why Compost Here’s How Compost Helps the Environment

You’d think the method of composting would be just as complicated as its ground-breaking impact. Certainly not!

Composting is a simple and practical technique to help solve today’s environmental, economic, and social problems. Including this easy step in your eco-friendly routine can make a big difference.

Including this easy step in your ecologically friendly routine can go a long way toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, regenerating soil, renewing water sources, and ensuring future food security.

Have you picked up your pitchfork yet? To understand more, let’s go through a few of the many wonderful advantages of composting.

Environmental Benefits of Composting

Minimizes Landfill Sizes

Organic waste is kept out of landfills by composting. This not only prevents landfills from exceeding their volume capacity too soon, but also reduces pollutants. In landfills, plant and food products do not decompose efficiently.

How Does Composting Help the Environment - Minimizes Landfill Sizes

An anaerobic environment is created by layers of garbage trapping the plant and food waste. Unfortunately, the difference between aerobic and anaerobic composting is enormous.

Due to the lack of oxygen in the landfill, decaying trash produces a high concentration of methane gas. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 21 times the potency of CO2.

Enriches soil

One of the most critical components of successful ecosystems is healthy soil. Beneficial microorganisms and mycorrhizal fungi thrive in productive soil, forming a robust network of communication between plants.

This simply means that healthy soil is beneficial to all living things. On the other hand, unhealthy or barren soil is a sign of deteriorating natural processes. Because barren soil can’t store water or nutrients, erosion is more likely, and dry spells are more damaging. Soil erosion is reduced by adding compost, which enhances soil health.

Compost has a number of advantages, including the ability to restore nutrients, bacteria, and other helpful composting organisms into the soil, so mending these systems over time.

Cleaner Oceans

Because all water eventually ends up in the ocean, compost’s ability to filter water as it passes through the ground ensures that the water going into the ocean is cleaner. Acidifying fertilisers and other harsh chemicals used in agriculture are among the most significant polluters of the oceans.

Cleaner Oceans

Composting reduces the amount of water run-off that carries toxic chemicals into the ocean, as well as the need for artificial fertilisers and pesticides in the first place.

Minimizes Chemicals

The use of synthetic fertilisers will be reduced if compost is applied to fields.

Compost not only provides fundamental required nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium that are contained in chemical fertilisers. It also provides a wide spectrum of trace minerals as well as other nutrients not found in synthetic fertilisers to your farmland.

Synthetic fertiliser use should be kept to a minimum to avoid environmental damage and difficulties such as water pollution. Algal blooms in oceans and lakes are caused by nitrogen emissions from chemical fertilisers, dramatically altering and harming the coastal ecology.

Helps Lower Production Costs for Farmers

Helps Lower Production Costs for Farmers

Who doesn’t want to assist farmers? Farmers and gardeners who utilise compost save money on fertilisers, herbicides, water, and irrigation, allowing them to invest that money in growing their production capacity. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that fields that use compost produce larger yields than those that do not. There will be more crops to sell and more money to be made as a result of this.

Helps you save on your trash bill

Every day, the average Brit discards 3.4 pounds of garbage. That kind of waste builds up over time, resulting in a higher trash cost. Diverting fruit and vegetable scraps and other biodegradable household goods into composting can considerably reduce the quantity of trash you dispose of on a daily basis, in addition to lowering your overall waste.

4 Tips to Manage and Reduce Food Waste with Express Waste Removals

Restaurants and households alike go through tons of food every year.

Using cooking oil in great quantities for example has made oil recycling a major topic in the food industry and media, because the so-called fatberg found in a London sewer that blocked numerous drains was a shocking find and revealed the consequences of mismanagement of food waste.

It is quite evident that if cooking oil recycling and general food or kitchen waste recycling is not dealt with properly, the waste can cause immense damage.

If kitchen waste is not disposed of adequately, it can cause clogging of drainage systems, hamper with fertilizer formations in compost heaps, and even lead water pollution in the rivers or seas, threatening sea life.

Importance of Food Waste Management and Reduction

The two most common ways to reuse food waste are using food scraps as fertilizers for plants in the garden or indoors or to regrow plants. However, it is also important to know that certain food wastes like cooking oil can be recycled by oil recycling companies to produce other by-products.

This is why it is vital to leave the food waste management in the professional hands of rubbish removal companies like Express Waste Removals in London. Let them handle your food waste for the following reasons:

1.      Minimize Waste in a Licensed Way

See how much kitchen waste alone is produced on average in comparison with all other types of waste in this graphic featured by Express Waste Removals:

Kitchen-waste-highest-type-of-waste-found-in-average-households

 

You can see that kitchen waste together with paper and card makes up the highest percentage of waste production in households.

In big households kitchen waste comes in huge quantities and disposing of household junk adequately can be a big challenge. Pouring oil waste simply into the kitchen and toilet sinks for instance, results in clogging the drainage systems.

Restaurants-and-catering-services-to-recycle-cooking-oilFamilies or house owners will need to hire plumbing services, which can be costly, to unclog their drains. Some uneducated people may also dump their food waste outside in the open where it may find its way into the sewerage system, causing blockages or attracting pests that can spread diseases.  Households may have to hire pest control services as a consequence to manage the spread of pests around their property.

To avoid such problems, Express Waste Removals advise everyone to leave their food waste management and removal with an insured and fully certified junk removal operator like them. They know exactly how to dispose of your food waste or garden waste, because they collaborate with licensed junk operators and recycling centres for the best eco-friendly rubbish removal methods.

2.      Contribute to local Communities and Businesses

By having your food waste recycled adequately through Express Waste Removals you first of all contribute to your local community by keeping it clean and healthy. You model green living and recycling and this will educate your neighbours or friends to follow suit. And you’ll also be supporting the local businesses involving themselves in the recycling business every day, because you are contributing towards economic growth which can lead to job creation. So it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

3.      Recycled Food can Produce Energy

Used oil can be converted into various by-products, like the most common by-product biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable energy source and is an alternative fuel to petroleum/diesel fuel for eco-friendly cars. Another type of energy food waste can produce when recycled through anaerobic digestion is biogas and fertiliser. In an oxygen-free tank the food waste material is broken down leading to these by-products that are useful for farms for example.

4.      Food Waste Recycling is Cost-Effective

As described earlier, inadequate and unprofessional food waste management can lead to additional costs to deal with problems arising from it such as blocked drains etc.

Hence, having the food waste disposed of professionally with waste removal companies like Express Waste Removals is the best alternative, as they offer very affordable waste removal options. The recycling businesses in your London area that work with Express Waste Removals also benefit from this so food waste recycling is  a very convenient solution for any household or food company and restaurant in London.

Managing and Reducing Food Waste is a Win-Win

The above-mentioned reasons clearly show that you should consider recycling your food waste with the help of professionals, because of the benefits that accrue from using licensed junk removal providers. Apart from minimizing and removing waste professionally, protecting the environment, producing biodiesel, and benefiting the local businesses, food waste recycling is cost-effective and is the best solution for managing food waste at home or as a business. And your local community will thank you for it.