LARGE SCALE COMPOSTING
If you
produce food waste from a canteen or restaurant, then you have to pay to have
it removed. This cost will increase as the Government raises the costs of
landfill. By composting your food waste, you not only save these costs, you
also produce a material which can be
used in your garden. Composting is seen as an essential part of improving your
environmental credentials.
There are
three major problems which may be associated with composting large volumes
including cooked food.
1) rats and
other vermin. Get over this by raising the unit off the ground, burying the
base and adding a mesh floor, or installing one of the larger automatic units.
2) Getting
the mix right/liquid discharge. Small garden type composters should be sited on
earth to drain. Cooked food should be drained before adding to a compost heap,
and in most cases some form of carbon, dry addition is required.
In a garden
compost bin, this can be dry leaves, paper or cardboard. In the commercial
composters, the manufacturers will specify the additional material. This may be
wood pellets (compressed sawdust) sawdust, wood chips, dry leaves, shredded
paper or shredded cardboard. Each manufacturer will specify the type of
material.
3) Animal
by-products regulations. If you are composting cooked food, you can do so as if
you are a domestic composter, IF you have separate premises, no hooved animals
on site, and can use the compost within the same premises. So a Hospice, for
instance, would be ok, a block of flats would not, and a country park with
animals present would not.
If you cannot
meet the domestic compost criteria, then you must comply with ABPR. This means the
material must be kept at a constant temperature for a specified length of time.
The larger composters which use an electric supply will normally be able to
comply.
The following
is a list of web sites, with brief notes on the type of unit, and technical
information where given.
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Rotary
composter, needs about 30% sawdust or 10% wood pellets. May be able to use
shredded paper or shredded cardboard. Takes 6-8 weeks to compost.
Stands on a
frame or can be attached to a strong wall. 2 compartments. Will process cooked
food, small bones.
The JK 125
costs £194 plus £30 delivery - total £224. Capacity 6kg/week. Really meant for
household use.
The JK 270
costs £289 plus £40 delivery - total £329. Capacity 15kg/week. Small guesthouse
size.
The JK 5100 is suitable for schools,
hospitals, local authorities, hotels, works canteens, housing associations,
etc. - wherever large amounts of organic kitchen waste are generated on a
regular basis.
The JK5100 can handle up to 100 litres
or 50 kg of waste per day.
Best kept indoors, complies with ABPR.
Prices fluid because of £
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This one is described as a composter,
but I have not heard any reports of it. Could be useful in large kitchens.
http://www.chefsrange.co.uk/food-and-waste-disposal-food-waste-composters-c-535_536.html
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The Rocket. Capacity: Up to: 600 litres of mixed waste per week, 300
litres of food waste per week, 1200 litres of food waste per week if used with macerator / dewaterer. Daily loading
required. Takes 14 days to compost.
Running costs: From 50p per week
Suitable for schools, business offices, restaurant or 50
households.
All machines require to be "under cover", hard
standing base and 240v single phase supply.
Please call for current price list.
Lease example: From as little as £37.62 per week *
Savings: save as much as £69 per week **
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Models to
cope with 75-1200kg/week. Needs addition of wood pellets, keep under cover.
Electric.
No prices on
the website, but mid range was about £8000 2 years ago –although that may have
included the building.
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http://www.growgreensolutions.com/Pages/Bigfoot%20Wormery.htm
Worm
composter, continuous production. Up to 9kg/day when established. Best kept
under cover. Needs addition of shredded paper or cardboard, or wood chips,
sawdust etc.
The same
company also does a ‘big pig’ composter, but I think it’s a Jora (Smartsoil)
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produce the
Green Cone, and Green Johanna. The first is dug into the ground and can be used
for cooked food, as the construction makes it inaccessible to vermin. It is not
a composter as such, and it uses an accelerator which seems to be bacterial.
Needs careful siting or it can get waterlogged. £68
Green
Johanna is an upmarket composter, with a removable jacket to keep heat in. £129
with jacket.
Both will
really only deal with a normal household’s waste.
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Another one
has come onto the market recently, www.ridan.co.uk
which is described as an in-vessel composter. It has an insulating jacket, and
costs £2100
How to decide
First, you
need to know how much waste you are producing: keep a diary.
Next, think
about what other materials you have to get rid of – one model can take shredded
cardboard as the carbon source – if you have a constant supply of cardboard,
and are prepared to shred it, then this may work out well.
Third, does
the unit need to be under cover, and/or need an electric supply. If only under
cover, good results can be had by using a small polytunnel.
Some compost
needs to be ‘finished’ by letting it mature in containers – is there room.
Who will
look after it – kitchen staff need to collect the food waste, and either they
or gardening staff should be prepared to control the process.
Work out how
much your current disposal costs are, and how they are going to increase in the
next few years.
