Food & Beverage Sector
Organic Waste Project
Food & Beverage Sector Group
Enterprising Manukau
Sustainable Management Fund
Organic waste in NZ
Environmental Report Card (July 2009) - MfE

Organic waste 28% of
waste to landfill

About 40% of organic
waste (or 208,000 tonnes
per annum) is from
commercial & industrial
premises
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
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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:
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Meet the objectives of The “NZ Waste Strategy”;
Lower environmental impacts;
Ensure sustainable business practices.
Project aims

Interview F&B Sector businesses
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Interview organic waste processors

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Determine types and quantities of organic wastes
generated and how these are disposed of
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
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65 businesses surveyed

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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
Current disposal of organic waste
Rendering
2%
Soil
94 T/mth
amendment
2%
98 T/mth
Other
6%
220 T/mth
Sometimes
landfill
5%
201 T/mth
Landfill
6%
237 T/mth
Compost
6%
276 T/mth
Only 6% to landfill
Stock feed
72%
2874 T/mth
Organic waste to landfill

Half of surveyed businesses sending some organic waste
to landfill. Reasons included:

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Organic waste
organic waste
Organic waste
Organic waste
Organic waste
could not be kept separate from other nonrequired safe (certified) disposal
was packaged
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.
2.
3.

Assistance required to divert organic waste
1.
2.
3.

Lack of disposal options
Resources required to implement a separate food waste
collection
Lack of information on alternatives
Assistance with linking up with potential solution providers
Information on alternative disposal methods
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:
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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
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Aimed to identify companies able to process food waste
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Nine currently processing food waste in Auckland region
(plus number of pig farmers), and two about to start
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Variation in types of food waste accepted
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Most willing to accept larger quantities
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Economics vary greatly
Post-consumer food waste
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Interviews with:
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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
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However, business desire for more information on, and
assistance linking up with, organic waste processors
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Number of food waste processors available – providing
range of different types of processing
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Currently very little processing of post-consumer food
waste
Planned initiatives
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Forum to introduce F&B Sector to processors
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Generation of database of organic waste processors for
Enterprising Manukau (and other?) websites
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Post-consumer food waste collection and processing
pilot, being organised with Hotel Association
Thank you!