However, at the end of the meal most of the leftover food is thrown away. In fact, it is estimated households across Britain discard over four million tonnes of food each year – which is the same as every British house throwing away £420. This surplus food is then sent straight to landfill, without being recycled and consequently forms part of the 18 million tonnes of household waste which is sent to landfill annually. With landfill space becoming increasingly scarce, the issue of how to responsibly discard of your food waste is fast becoming one of the biggest challenges facing local authorities today. However, if this issue is to be tackled properly it needs the attention of every single person in the UK and across the world today. With the help of households and businesses, local authorities can recycle food waste products to be used in a variety of manners.
Helpful rather than hindrance
What does happen to the food that we throw away?
If food waste is discarded in the correct manner it can actually become a source of help rather than a hindrance it becomes if send to landfill. Food waste decays easily and can be combined to produce compost. However when food waste is sent to landfill, it actually produces methane, which is harmful to the environment and contributes to climate change. In fact, recently Nasa scientists said that methane’s impact on global temperatures was approximately a third higher than previously estimated due to not accounting for its interaction with airborne particles.
Currently, some householders collect food waste in composting units but this is not possible for those without gardens. So, what is the next best alternative for those keen to do their bit for the environment? Kitchen caddies. These are small bins that sit on kitchen units or under the sink and can be used to collect and store food waste such as cooked and uncooked food meat, vegetables, fruit peelings, tea bags and egg shells. The kitchen caddies usually come in five or seven litres and have around a seven litre capacity, and are 245 mm wide and 230 mm depth.
Another source of best practice is to use compostable liners with the kitchen caddy to help you take your food waste out easily. Compostable liners are recommended because they also decompose at the composting facility. Plastic bin liners or carrier bags cannot be processed into compost and so become a form of contamination. In fact, the introduction and usage of “kitchen caddies” so that households can recycle their food waste, is one such measure leading the fight against controlling unwanted food in an easy and clean manner. Food that is in the kitchen caddy would then be sent to specialist recycling plants rather than be dumped in landfill. The importance of the food waste management is one of the reasons why the UK’s largest wheeled bin manufacturer, MGB Plastics have invested in research, design and manufacturing to develop the kitchen caddy of tomorrow.
At the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition on 15-17th September 2010 MGB Plastics will the launch its new 5 litre, 7 litre and 23 litre kitchen caddy from in an innovative sleek design that fits seamlessly into a modern kitchen and is available in a choice of colours. Once gripe of previous designs of the kitchen caddy has been the odour which comes from storing a variety of different food waste. MGB Plastics has designed its latest kitchen caddy with sealed lockable lids to prevent odour escape – a problem that many households face.
How to tackle and control unwanted food waste should now be on top of the agenda from every household in the UK. Using a kitchen caddy is one such way that every UK household can start their very own journey only in helping Britain send less unwanted food to the landfill.
MGB Plastics has the capacity to manufacture in excess of 1 million wheeled bins per annum. In addition to manufacturing wheelie bins and kitchen caddies. Mgbplastics.com – Leaders in Waste Management
Enjoyed this article?
More information on Go Green Tips!
