Food & Beverage Sector Group Enterprising Manukau Sustainable Management Fund Food & Beverage Sector Organic Waste Project

Organic waste in NZ  Organic waste 28% of waste to landfill  About 40% of organic waste (or 208,000 tonnes per annum) is from commercial & industrial premises Environmental Report Card (July 2009) - MfE

The NZ Waste Strategy  The NZ Waste Strategy 2002: “By December 2010, the diversion of commercial organic wastes from landfill to beneficial use will have exceeded 95 percent.”  Review of The NZ Waste Strategy, 2006: “There is only limited data on amount of commercial organic waste diverted from landfill, so a comprehensive assessment of commercial organic wastes diverted from landfill is not currently possible.” “A better understanding of diversion rates and flows for industrial organic waste is critical if improvements are to be made in organic diversion rates.”

Food & Beverage Sector Group  The Food & Beverage Sector Group Managed and facilitated by Enterprising Manukau (A Regional Economic Development Agency) Includes 124 F&B manufacturers - representing 35% of F&B manufacturers in Auckland region Generates 69% of F&B revenue for Auckland region Employs 52% of F&B labour force in the Auckland region Generates $945 million in export revenue

Food & Beverage Sector Group  Sector Group interested in alternative organic waste disposal options to: Meet the objectives of The “NZ Waste Strategy”; Lower environmental impacts; Ensure sustainable business practices.

Project aims  Interview F&B Sector businesses Determine types and quantities of organic wastes generated and how these are disposed of  Interview organic waste processors Determine availability of disposal options for organic (food) waste  Facilitate linkages between the two groups and  Investigate disposal of food waste from hospitality and institutional facilities Determine the potential for diversion of this organic waste

F&B Sector Interviews  65 businesses surveyed Combined annual turn over of $5.4 billion, representing 69% of the region’s food & beverage industry by revenue  Asked series of questions about their organic waste generation and disposal, and their attitudes towards waste

F&B Sector Survey Results  Surveyed businesses were generating approximately 4,000 tonnes of organic waste per month, or 48,000 tonnes per annum  Only 6% to landfill

Organic waste to landfill  Half of surveyed businesses sending some organic waste to landfill. Reasons included: Organic waste could not be kept separate from other non- organic waste Organic waste required safe (certified) disposal Organic waste was packaged Organic waste contained contaminants  35% from one business – most other businesses sending small quantities  97% of waste “Sometimes landfilled” from one business: usually to feed stock – sometimes to landfill

Barriers and Opportunities  Barriers to diverting organic waste 1. Lack of disposal options 2. Resources required to implement a separate food waste collection 3. Lack of information on alternatives  Assistance required to divert organic waste 1. Assistance with linking up with potential solution providers 2. Information on alternative disposal methods 3. Financial support to find alternatives  88% of businesses have implemented waste minimisation practices

Organic waste processors  Definition - businesses that accept organic waste for the purpose of using it in a beneficial manner, including: Companies with on-site processing of organic waste Companies that act as organic waste brokers, accepting various types of organic wastes and on-selling them, either directly or after some form of processing, to end users (such as farmers)

Survey results  Aimed to identify companies able to process food waste  Nine currently processing food waste in Auckland region (plus number of pig farmers), and two about to start  Variation in types of food waste accepted  Most willing to accept larger quantities  Economics vary greatly

Post-consumer food waste  Interviews with: A selection of hotels A selection of restaurants & cafes Supermarkets (through Foodstuffs and Progressive) Two airport caterers A hospital The Department of Corrections  All food waste landfilled (with some minor exceptions)  Willingness to find alternative, more sustainable disposal options

Summary  Most organic waste generated by F&B Sector is currently diverted from landfill  However, business desire for more information on, and assistance linking up with, organic waste processors  Number of food waste processors available – providing range of different types of processing  Currently very little processing of post-consumer food waste

Planned initiatives  Forum to introduce F&B Sector to processors  Generation of database of organic waste processors for Enterprising Manukau (and other?) websites  Post-consumer food waste collection and processing pilot, being organised with Hotel Association

Thank you!