Free commercial food waste collections

Local food company Waste Source is offering businesses free food waste collections for a month for those who sign up to its Gather service in 2015. Gather is a brokering partnership with local service providers Able Waste that collects surplus food from businesses around the city for processing in Avonmouth’s anaerobic digestion plant, saving it from landfill. Gases produced are then used to generate electricity, contrasted with the harmful methane released when food breaks down in the ground. 

The initiative is designed to support Bristol’s Green Capital year through increasing the volume of food waste that is recycled. 

“We just couldn’t believe that no one was doing food waste collection and doing it well,” says Jon Free, who set up Waste Source with co-director Chris Holland in August 2014. “You look around you somewhere like North Street and there are so many cafes and restaurants. Everyone has bins, everyone is throwing food away! We decided to do something about it.” 

Seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions stem from food waste. Wrap, the Waste & Resources Action Programme, reports that 41 percent of waste from pubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes is food-based, and that cutting this figure could reduce emissions and save the global economy millions.

“The number of businesses recycling their food waste in Bristol is negligible,” says Peter Jones of Eunomia, an environmental consultancy in Queen Square. “There’s a reason; because these services are not widely used, it’s not cheap. Businesses pay for waste by volume, not by weight, so at present the economics often don’t work.”

Composting food waste costs £60 less per tonne than landfill, but despite composting being now common practice in Bristol’s homes, many companies are still yet to make the change.  

“We aren’t eco-warriors but we have a healthy grasp of the impact businesses can have on reducing their harm to the environment,” adds Holland. “Not only are our clients are ahead of the curve for environmental legal requirements, but using Gather is great for their bottom line. We’re fully supportive of Bristol’s Green Capital year and are pleased to be contributing.”

Boston Tea Party is one company to have switched, along with other luminaries such as Pie Minister and Grounded. Sam Roberts, Managing Director said: “As members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association we are committed to improving our sustainability process where we can. Food waste is one area we are particularly keen on working on and since trying out Gather, we haven’t looked back. It’s easy to separate out our food waste in the restaurants. The team at Waste Source have been pivotal in helping us transform our waste collection. We’re delighted to be working with someone who shares our commitment in this area.”