This is a Ridan at Schumacher college Devon - composting all the food waste from the kitchens - the black dustbin is for dry woodchip
Businesses are, rightly, wary of food waste composting. They have read that it cannot be done, that it will attract rats, flies and other problems; it will smell and ooze horrid liquids and generally is a bad idea. In fact anything that recently lived, and that includes mashed potato, beef burgers, gravy and custard, can all be composted, you just have to know how to do it.
Many local Authorities now collect food waste for composting and they are governed by extremely strict legislation, brought in during the big foot and mouth outbreak of 2001. But this legislation is mostly concerned with what happens to waste food when it is transported to a centralised composting plant and does not cover ‘in situ’ food waste composting. This leaves many places where the carefully considered composting of food waste can be carried out and far from adding to the problems of rats, flies and smells, it can actually be a way of solving those problems and making wonderfully important compost to restore our depleted soils. Many schools, prisons, National Trust properties and rural hotels and B+B’s are now composting food waste and the potential to do more is enormous.
Rising trade waste collection charges for businesses, the legislation outlawing biodegradable waste from landfill, the rising cost of fuel and food, and the potential to save money by creating compost, which can be sold, are all factors influencing organisations and businesses to start composting.
