How to wrap up your festive food waste

Advice to businesses from Grundon on disposal over Christmas

FROM sharing the office mince pies to large-scale Christmas entertaining, many businesses are well under way with planning their celebrations.

It’s well known that festive excesses lead to a huge increase in food waste, and this year Beenham-based Grundon Waste Management is calling on event organisers, caterers, hotels and restaurants, in and around Newbury to choose a greener approach to managing that waste.

Ben Cuthbertson, business development manager, based at Beenham, said: “The run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of year for the hospitality industry and we want to show that with a few simple steps, organisations can save money and be more environmentally friendly.

“Because food waste is so heavy, simple segregation back-of-house can significantly reduce the amount spent on general waste collections.

“And, because we send the food waste to anaerobic digestion facilities for processing into renewable electricity and bio-fertiliser, it’s a win-win situation.”

Just one tonne of food waste saves the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as taking 2.9 cars off the road or powering a 100w lightbulb for 3,260 hours.

As well as offering a dedicated food waste collection service, Grundon provides specially-designed 120-litre bins, which fit under the counter in food preparation areas.

With no need to use bin bags, the bins are easy to clean and come with clip-down, non-spill lids for easy disposal of food waste and cooking oils and liquids.

One establishment to have already seen the benefits of segregating food waste is the award-winning White Hart pub and restaurant just north of the M4 in Fyfield, Oxfordshire.

After introducing two specially-designed food waste bins, it is saving more than £100 a month.

Kay Chandler, who looks after front of house while husband Mark is head chef, said: “Our general waste bins and recycling bins were overweight and, if we had continued the way we were, we would have been penalised heavily, so the savings are huge.

“Grundon showed us how the figures worked and now we wish we had said yes sooner, because we are benefiting both financially and in terms of being more environmentally- friendly.

“Now the team has really embraced the idea of segregation, they know it works and they’ve really got into the habit of doing it every day.”

To speak to a member of the Grundon team about how to deal with your festive food waste, contact (0118) 971 2012 or alternatively email sales.reading@grundon.com