People often forget that food waste left in plastic food packaging will pollute other recyclable materials in the blue recycling bins and undermine the effectiveness of recycling. If not handled correctly or promptly, it may also result in odour nuisance problems and even vermin proliferation. As a result, managing food waste is necessary.
As we work to make Singapore a Zero Waste Nation, reducing food waste, redistributing unsold or extra food, reprocessing or treating food waste, and following food waste recycling Singapore policies are all essential parts of our national waste management strategies.
In the modern world, food waste is a serious problem. Producing more food is insufficient to achieve food sustainability; instead, people must recognise the value of food and take steps to minimise food waste. For the younger generation, food is a lifeless commodity that is sold on supermarket and retail store shelves.
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Resource Sustainability Act (RSA)
The Resource Sustainability Act (RSA) was passed in October 2019 to give new policies addressing our priority waste streams legal effect. The guidelines for handling food waste are as follows:
- Beginning in 2021, designers of new large-scale commercial and industrial buildings must allot and reserve space in their proposals for on-site food waste treatment systems.
- Industrial and commercial food waste producers will need to separate their waste for treatment starting in 2024.
Corporate involvement in food waste management
People are unaware of the time, money, and resources needed to cultivate food. Food waste occurs in developed nations in prodigious amounts. In Singapore, about 12% of food production is lost or wasted in the food production process. Food waste occurs in developed nations in prodigious amounts. In Singapore, about 12% of the food produced is wasted. The quantity of food wasted is truly astounding.
Food waste occurs at all levels of the food supply chain, from farming to quality processing, shipping to retail sales, and preparing food for consumption. Through several studies, the experts assist in finding the best approaches to managing food waste. Many businesses, including the DBS Foundation, provide the best food waste recycling programmes in Singapore, like Boon Poh, to address this issue.
DBS, a company with a clear purpose, launched the Zero Food Waste (ZFW) initiative in 2020 to prevent food waste and recycle wasted food to create other worthwhile products. The consumption of food was reduced by 20% as a result of these initiatives. Food waste is recycled to create compost and is also applied as manure.
How can businesses help reduce food waste?
Verify your food waste output
By calculating the quantity and type of food waste, you can learn more about what goes on in your kitchen. You can devise efficient waste prevention strategies, understanding the amount of food wasted and why. Furthermore, it will show the amount of money that can be saved and avoid wasting food. A waste audit is the name of this analysis.
You can perform a waste audit using several free EPA tools based on your objectives. A Practical Guide 2.0, entitled “Why and How to Measure Food Loss and Waste: A Practical Guide,” by the Centre for Environmental Cooperation, is just one example of the measurement advice available from other organisations. You are prepared to proceed with the following steps after receiving the results of your waste audit:
Hierarchy for food waste management
- Avoid and Cut Down on Food Waste at the Source
- Redistributing unsold or extra food
- Treat or recycle food waste.
- Regain Energy
Implement source reduction in the ways listed below:
- Developing better habits is the key to preventing food waste.
- Compare customer ordering with stock buying.
- To improve customer satisfaction and to protect and minimise food waste, menus should be changed.
- Make sure to use proper storage methods.
- Use your surplus food in inventive ways. Food that is extra or “surplus” can be used to create new recipes. For instance, old bread can be turned into croutons, fruit into a topping for dessert, and vegetable trimmings into stocks, sauces, and soups.
- As necessary, reduce serving sizes and stay away from garnishes that aren’t consumed.
- Encourage clients using a buffet-style service to only take what they will eat.
- Go tray less in the dining halls at colleges.
Distribute the remaining food
To help those in need, you can distribute the leftover food. Instead of throwing away leftover food from events and gatherings, several community partners across many areas and business volunteers collect it and donate it to underprivileged people. For instance, to provide food to the needy, DBS Hong Kong collaborates with the Foodlink Foundation. To assist them in gathering food that is safe to eat from F&B establishments and distributing it to those who are in the most need, DBS endorsed a refrigerated van.
Recycling of Food Waste
A lot of food is wasted in cafeterias and restaurants, with leftover food disposed of in the trash. Such food can be turned into organic compost and used to feed plants. Coffee waste from coffee shops and booths is used in the edible garden city to break down into fertilizer. Additionally, implementing a food waste collection system can further contribute to sustainable practices, ensuring that food scraps are repurposed effectively. The Eco-Greenergy Zero Grounds Coffee Campaign promotes the use of compost, soap, and flowerpots made from used coffee grounds.
Why is recycling food waste required?
The average daily food waste per household is 1.5 kg. By using the leftover food to make new dishes or recycling the wasteful food, you can avoid half of the food waste. What then makes the recycling of food waste so crucial?
- Recycling food waste helps ensure the sustainability of food.
A sound food management system makes it simple to create a more sustainable environment. Producing, managing, and reducing food waste will benefit sustainability and protect the environment for future generations. Food waste bioreactors and solutions speed up the decomposition of wasted food and transform it into combustible material.
When food waste decomposes, methane and other toxic gases are released. Additionally, it damages the earth and uses up land. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change and environmental issues.
- A tidy and secure environment
Food waste attracts insects and microorganisms, which leads to contamination and unpleasant odours. It might contaminate natural resources, including land, water, and air. Therefore, it necessitates efficient food waste recycling to protect the environment and provide a clean and safe one.
The advantages of managing food waste are, in essence,
- Save energy by avoiding pollution caused by the growth, preparation, and transportation of food. This pollution includes the use of pesticides and fertilisers.
- Decrease landfill methane emissions as well as greenhouse gas emissions all along the food supply chain.
- Spend less money by only purchasing what is necessary and by preventing disposal fees.
- Reduce labour costs by handling, preparing, and storing food that will be consumed more effectively.
You can resolve your food shortage and food-waste recycling issues with good food production and waste management practices suggested by food waste recycling Singapore! You can also reduce food waste and protect the environment with the assistance of competent experts.
