Domestic Food Waste Research Articles

Willingness to pay for a domestic food waste diversion policy option in regional Queensland, Australia

Domestic food waste (DFW) is an important policy issue because it represents inefficiencies in supply chains and consumption behaviour, creates pressures on urban landfills, and causes downstream environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and odour from landfills. However, the evaluation of proposals to minimise or treat food waste, such as through separate disposal streams, is difficult because those impacts are not registered through normal market price signals. This paper presents non-market valuations for a hypothetical kerbside DFW collection service from a survey of households in two local government areas in the Central Queensland region, Australia. Choice modelling (CM) and contingent valuation methods (CVM) were employed to elicit potential participation and estimate willingness to pay (WTP) of the community for a domestic food waste collection service. Latent class analysis results for the sub-groups supporting an improvement option revealed that cost, odour and fortnightly collection frequency limit both WTP for and participation in the potential kerbside collection program. While there was support because it would extend the lifespans of the local landfills, potential reduction of methane emissions was not a strong driver. No difference in support or willingness to pay could be identified between the two local government populations. While the CVM results showed a WTP of $30.42 and a 58% participation rate for the proposed option, the latent class models showed that potential participation and willingness to pay varied across negative, indifference and positive sub-samples. This study provides a useful example of how a new policy option to improve waste management at a local area level might be evaluated, where the willingness to pay estimates can be factored into a benefit cost analysis and the estimates of likely support or opposition can be inputted into a political economy framework.

Optimisation and production of alpha amylase from thermophilic Bacillus spp. and its application in food waste biodegradation

This study employed Bacillus spp. with α-amylase production isolated from Malaysian hot spring for domestic kitchen food waste treatment contained grains, vegetables, chicken and tuna that mimic the food waste discharge from domestic kitchens in Malaysian household. Results showed that Bacillus licheniformis HULUB1 and Bacillus subtilis SUNGB2 possess excellent amylolytic properties. Highest α-amylase activity was obtained when both isolates were cultivated at pH 6.0 and 65 °C with concentrations of 18.15 U/mL for HULUB1 and 22.14 U/mL for SUNGB2. Stability of α-amylase with significant levels of enzyme activity were recorded at 55–85 °C and pH 5.0–9.0. The extracted mixed α-amylase of HULUB1 and SUNGB2 showed greatest reduction were achieved at day 12 with 45% ± 0.03 solid content at 65 °C. While the mixed culture of HULUB1 and SUNGB2 displayed an enhanced effect on the food waste contents reduction with 43% ± 0.02 solid content at 45 °C after day 12. The findings showed that the combination of the two Bacillus spp. isolates possessed degradation of food wastes at faster rate than α-amylase. It was also pointed out that the standard food waste (SFW) and the treatment process assimilated for this study was suitable for the growth of Bacillus spp.

Produced The Compost by Recycling The Municipality Waste

Around 5000 tons of food waste are prooduced every day in Iraq, accounts for about (50%) of the waste that we get rid of .Waste sent to landfill for disposal may breakdown and produce methane gas that causes greenhouse effect ,as well as odour , epidemics , and disease because of the disintegration. The aims of the research are to produce organic fertilizer through the recycling of domestic refuse. It has been working through this research to collect the domestic food waste which represent the nitrogen source, as well as the remains of cleaning and trimming of various trees and the remains of lawn mowers, and use of sawdust white wood which represent the carbon source. Working on dried and arranged in layers of perforated plastic containers for the purpose of ventilation, it was moisturized with two different types of water and monitored fertilizer maturity for four months. Previously the fresh water was used for the purpose for moisturizing the mixture (tap water) later the domestic wastewater have been used. The comparison was made between the results of tests performed; the test has come up with the resalt that the use of "domestic wastewater" rich in living organisms and bacteria to hydrate the mixture is better than the use of "tap water". The felicitous fertilizer is rich with nutrient nitrogen 2.3%, phosphorus 13% and potassium 20% etc. There are a number of important factors affecting the process of production of fertilizer, including air ventilation, temperature, and moisture content in the mixture, which ranges from 40-60% to provide a suitable medium for microorganisms within the mixture. Where less than 40% lead to dry mixture and kill organisms.

Carbon emissions under different domestic waste treatment modes induced by garbage classification: Case study in pilot communities in Shanghai, China

The GHGs contributions (tally by carbon emissions) during treatment of domestic food waste and residual waste from pilot communities (contained 2365 families) in Shanghai, China, under different Modes induced by garbage classification were investigated. It was found that under the present condition of garbage classification in Shanghai, 51.8% of the food waste could be separated finally. With garbage classification, the load of landfill was saved by 17.3% (Mode 2) and 16.5% (Mode 3), the moisture of garbage for incineration was reduced by 13.6%, and the lower heating value (LHV) of garbage was increased by 16.2%. Applying the life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) with material flows, net carbon emissions during the treatment of garbage were found to be in the following order: Mode 3 (1.60 × 10−3 kg CE/kg waste) < Mode 2 (4.85 × 10−3 kg CE/kg waste) < Mode 1 (4.94 × 10−3 kg CE/kg waste) < landfill (1.49 × 10−2 kg CE/kg waste). Mode 2 and Mode 3 were replaceable patterns of Mode 1, and anaerobic digestion was the recommendable strategy to recover energy from food waste. Especially, there was no obvious benefit of increasing the separation proportion of food waste to 60% (or above) for reducing net carbon emissions in the following treatment processes.

Kinetics Modelling of Batch Anaerobic Co-digestion of Domestic Primary Sewage Sludge and Food Waste in a Stirred Reactor

Anaerobic digestion was conventionally applied for treating sewage sludge. However, the accumulation of solid waste particularly food waste has reach the critical levels worldwide. In practice, the food waste was dumped into the landfill for ultimate disposal. However, the greenhouse gases produced in the landfill makes this is no longer a preferable option. Anaerobic digestion was seen as an alternative for managing the food waste in a sustainable way. Methane, a renewable energy is potentially in replacing fossil fuel. However, the methane yield from the digestion of food waste inefficient. Therefore, a study of the co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste was conducted to investigate the improvement of the methane yield. This study was conducted by using a mixture of domestic primary sewage sludge and food waste as a co-substrate for the anaerobic digester. The kinetics modified Gompertz modelling was applied to describe the anaerobic digestion process. A series of batch biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay was prepared using Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS II) to investigate the anaerobic digestibility of the mixture of domestic primary sewage sludge and food waste. The BMP assay showed that the co-digestion improved the ultimate methane yield by 32.6% higher than domestic primary sewage sludge alone, indicated that the co-substrate characteristics influencing the methane yield. Besides that, the greater VS/TS ratio of the substrate also resulted in the greater methane yield. The kinetics parameter from the modelling analysis were slightly lower as compared to the laboratory data.

Domestic Food Waste Derived Porous Carbon for Energy Storage Applications

AbstractInterconnected microporous and heteroatom containing bio‐carbon, derived from universal household waste i. e. cooked rice has been investigated as an anode material for lithium and sodium‐ion batteries. Cooked rice derived carbon (CRC), prepared by an economically viable carbonization process, bestowed with the presence of nitrogen atom due to the bacillus cereus bacteria is chemically activated with KOH at different temperatures such as 800, 850 and 900° C. Among the prepared samples, CRC‐900 anode delivers an exceptionally high progressive capacity of ≈1000 mAh g‐1 at 100 mA g−1 for 100 cycles and reasonable capacity of 169 mAh g−1 for 1000 cycles. Further, CRC‐900 anode demonstrates high rate performance by delivering 260 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 in LIBs and an acceptable capacity of 78 mAh g−1 in SIBs at 2 A g−1condition. CRC is found to contain micro and meso‐porous structure along with high surface area (1899 m2 g−1) to endorse its suitability to this extend as an anode for LIBs and SIBs. The study illustrates the exploitation of waste‐to‐wealth attempt with an ultimate aim of recommending CRC as a potential anode for energy storage applications on the basis of low cost, cheap, eco‐benign electrode obtained from biodegradable cooked rice.

Long-term biogas desulfurization under different microaerobic conditions in full-scale thermophilic digesters co-digesting high-solid sewage sludge

Long-term (81 weeks) microaerobic biogas desulfurization was investigated in three full-scale thermophilic digesters in series co-digesting sewage sludge with co-products of source segregated domestic food waste. Residual oxygen (RO) concentrations in the digester headspaces were maintained at fixed values from 2.0% to 0.2% (v/v). Complete H2S removal was obtained at all tested RO concentrations under organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) varying between 1.5 and 2.3 kg VS/m3 d and between 44 and 71 d, respectively. Specific oxygen and air consumptions of 0.88 kg O2/ton VSin and 0.73 %ton air/ton biogas, respectively, were obtained by linear regressions with the RO values maintained in the biogas. Mass balance and stoichiometric evaluations revealed that from 13% to 59% of the consumed O2 was used for processes other than partial H2S oxidation to elemental sulfur (S0). The relatively high ammonium concentrations (3.5–3.8 g N–NH4+/kg digestate) in the liquid phase of the three digesters presumably limited the biological H2S production and S0 accumulation in the headspace. The results of this study can be used for designing the aeration systems of full-scale thermophilic digesters.

Process stability and comparative rDNA/rRNA community analyses in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor with silicon carbide ceramic membrane applications

This study evaluated the feasibility of using a silicon carbide (SiC) anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactor (AnCMBR) to co-manage domestic wastewater (DWW) and food waste recycling wastewater (FRW). A pilot-scale SiC-AnCMBR was put into operation for 140 days under two different organic loading rates (OLRs): 5 kg COD m−3 d−1 (OLR 5) and 3 kg COD m−3 d−1 (OLR 3). The organic removal efficiency was 93.5 ± 3.7% over the operational period. Methane production increased significantly after sludge re-seeding at OLR 3. rDNA and rRNA microbial results showed that the active archaeal community was affected by sludge re-seeding, whereas the active bacterial community was not, indicating that a shift in the active archaeal community was responsible for the increased methane production. Our results thus suggest that SiC-AnCMBRs are a promising option for co-managing DWW and FRW.

Biogas Production by Co-Digestion of Canteen Food Waste and Domestic Wastewater under Organic Loading Rate and Temperature Optimization

The objective of this study was to characterize biogas production performance from the co-digestion of food waste and domestic wastewater under mesophilic (35 ± 1 °C) and thermophilic (55 ± 1 °C) conditions. The food waste used as a co-substrate in this study was collected from a main canteen at the Hatyai campus of Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla Province, Thailand. The optimum co-digestion ratio and temperature conditions in a batch experiment were selected for a semi-continuous experiment. Organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.66, 0.33, and 0.22 g volatile solid (VS) L−1 d−1 were investigated in a semi-continuous experiment by continuously stirring a tank reactor (CSTR) for biogas production. The highest biomethane potential (BMP, 0.78 ml CH4 mg−1 VS removal) was achieved with a ratio of food waste to domestic wastewater of 10:90 w/v at a mesophilic temperature. An OLR of 0.22 g VS L−1 d−1 of co-digestion yielded positive biogas production and organic removal. The findings of this study illustrate how biogas production can be used for operating feed conditions and control for anaerobic co-digestion of domestic wastewater and food waste from a university canteen.

Composted Municipal Green Waste Enhances Tree Success in Opencast Coal Land Reclamation in Wales

The United Kingdom has a problem in the disposal of municipal green waste (MGW). This is unsuitable for landfill, but when properly composted may be beneficial to tree growth. A formal controlled trial of the 11-year growth (height, diameter at breast height [DBH]) and survival of 3 tree species was evaluated on degraded former opencast coal land on the margins of UNESCO’s Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage site in South East Wales. Forest reclamation is considered a viable cost-effective approach to reclamation but success may be compromised by infertile and seriously compacted substrates, the depleted bio-geoecological system, and a lack of funding. In this trial, trees were (or were not) supplied, on planting, with 0.75 kg per stem of composted MGW – here a mixture of 40% domestic food waste and 60% garden waste. Results show that the application of MGW made no significant difference to either tree height or DBH. Survival rates were highest for Common Alder ( Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) followed by Silver Birch ( Betula pendula, Roth) and European Larch ( Larix decidua Mill.). However, Silver Birch and Larch treated with MGW compost had significantly greater survival rates, whereas Alder had significantly lower survival rates, compared with trees planted without MGW treatment.

Consumer behaviour types in household food waste

Greater consumer choice and the greater share of income available for food have undoubtedly contributed to increasing the phenomenon of food waste. Food waste is at the centre of intense debate in the scientific world. Food waste at the consumption stage is a direct consequence of consumer buying behaviour. This makes the analysis of domestic food waste particularly interesting, as there are great opportunities for interventions to reduce it.To shed light on the phenomenon of food waste in rural towns and assess the level of knowledge of the economic, environmental and ethical consequences of food waste by consumers residing in such contexts, qualitative research and empirical analysis were carried out through the administration of a questionnaire in rural areas of Campania. Multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were performed on the data collected. For each consumer profile identified through the analysis, appropriate waste reduction policies should be adopted. The results of the analysis make it possible to identify specific factors leading to food waste in rural areas, and what action could be taken by public and private stakeholders to reduce food waste.

Real-time optimization of the key filtration parameters in an AnMBR: Urban wastewater mono-digestion vs. co-digestion with domestic food waste

This study describes a model-based method for real-time optimization of the key filtration parameters in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater (UWW) and UWW mixed with domestic food waste (FW). The method consists of an initial screening to find out adequate filtration conditions and a real-time optimizer applied to a periodically calibrated filtration model for minimizing the operating costs. The initial screening consists of two statistical analyses: (1) Morris screening method to identify the key filtration parameters; (2) Monte Carlo method to establish suitable initial control inputs values. The operating filtration cost after implementing the control methodology was €0.047 per m3 (59.6% corresponding to energy costs) when treating UWW and €0.067 per m3 when adding FW due to higher fouling rates. However, FW increased the biogas productivities, reducing the total costs to €0.035 per m3. Average downtimes for reversible fouling removal of 0.4% and 1.6% were obtained, respectively. The results confirm the capability of the proposed control system for optimizing the AnMBR performance when treating both substrates.

Recycling of domestic food waste

PurposeAntibiotic resistance (ABR) has now become a major global public health issue. New legislation has recently been introduced in Northern Ireland from April 2017, requiring domestic households to recycle all domestic food waste items. Resulting increases in the volume of such waste which is collected by the local council has driven technologies for the safe recycling of such material including commercial composting. Little is known about the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of such composted food waste materials and hence the purpose of this paper is to characterise total AMR in bacteria isolated from such composted domestic food waste and to consider the potential public health consequences of such material.Design/methodology/approachFinished compost containing food waste material was obtained in the Spring 2017 from a local authority recycling amenity site, which freely distributes such material to the public. Total culturable populations of bacteria were isolated from the composted material and antibiotic susceptibility to six classes of antibiotics, namely florfenicol, fluoroquinolone, aminoglycoside, lincosamide, tetracycline and β-lactam was examined.FindingsABR was greatest for lincomycin > tobramycin > minocycline/amoxycillin > ciprofloxacin > florfenicol. In this study, there was one compost, which showed complete resistance to all antibiotics tested. No compost displayed complete antibiotic sensitivity. Two composts were considered pan-resistant, whilst four were considered multi-resistant.Originality/valueThis study showed that the total ABR profile of food waste compost is significant, with bacterial populations within the compost having ABR to several classes of antibiotics, which are important and sometimes critical to human health. The application of such materials to enrich and fertilise garden soils in significant volumes inadvertently allows for the artifical and man-made transfer of AMR bacteria and their genes to new environments, which have been hitherto niave to the presence of such AMR properties. The application of such compost horticulturally to enrich soils used to cultivate flowers, fruits and vegetables may have important consequences for human and animal health. Urgent work is now needed to quantify the fate of such antibiotic resistant bacteria from compost to their new environment and risk assessments made to estimate the carriage through to human health.

Towards Sustainable Food System in Qatar: Household Food Waste and Consumption Behavior

It has been proofed that food wastage can be recognized at all level of food life cycle i.e. harvesting, manufacturing, distributing however, the largest contribution to food waste is the consumption stage by household. According to Parfitt et al, 2010; WRI, 2013 “household food waste” is define as the total losses that occur at the end of food lifecycle, which is final consumption, we consider the issue of waste of food as a deeply rooted issue of consumption behaviors, (Den 2008; Bowman 2007; Dogs 2002), and many commentators argue that domestic food waste is strongly influenced by consumer behaviors (Wharton, 2014). In the Arab countries, especially in the Gulf countries, high levels of food waste of recorded due to the social customs and traditions that control consumption patterns. Research efforts on the waste of food in the State of Qatar is very few and does not cover all Food waste, production and consumption chain, which start from production through delivery, storage, packaging, selling, and consumption. Through computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) with 1684 respondents This study covered the stage after purchase and consumption, aimed to understand the attitudes and behavior of individuals in Qatar towards food waste , and to identify types of food are often wasted and estimated the amount of waste as well. Survey respondents provided reason of food waste and Results indicate that people have an awareness regard food waste Furthermore; the study found out having more children was associated with reduced food waste perception and high-income households were strongly associated with increase in perception of food wastage as the income increases. Moreover, family give the persons a sense of responsibility towards food waste.

Integrating community perspectives into domestic food waste prevention and diversion policies

Food waste (FW) in Australia costs an estimated $8 to 10 billion per year, and is associated with detrimental environmental and socio-economic implications such as greenhouse gas emissions and loss of human and natural capital. Preventing domestic food waste (DFW) generation and/or redirecting these resources to recyclable outputs is an important policy issue, however effective policy must first begin with an understanding of behavioural drivers for DFW generation. To examine this issue, a case study was conducted in two local government areas in Australia. Using focus group discussions, consumers’ understanding of and opinions about DFW generation, diversion and prevention options were assessed. Four hypothetical DFW policy options were explored: these included diversion options of home/backyard composting, community composting, and a residential FW collection program; and a prevention option, which was education programs to avoid over purchasing and over consumption. Home/backyard composting and education were the first and second preferred options, respectively. The sub-sample of residents were already practicing helpful food waste reduction habits, such as home composting and frugality in food spending and consumption habits. The findings demonstrate that understanding residents’ views requires an exploration of the complex psychological, socio-economic, environmental, and regulatory factors that shape opinions and behaviours towards food utilisations. The research demonstrates the potential value in embedding community perspectives in policy instruments, with the aim of encouraging sustainable food consumption and utilisation behaviours in regional communities.

Domestic food practices: A study of food management behaviors and the role of food preparation planning in reducing waste

Recent research has started to show the key role of daily food provision practices in affecting household food waste. Building on and extending these previous contributions, the objective of this paper is to investigate how individuals' everyday practices regarding food (e.g., shopping, cooking, eating, etc.) lead to food waste, and how policy makers and the food industry can implement effective strategies to influence such practices and ultimately help consumers reduce food waste. The research performs three Studies; a critical incident qualitative study (Study 1; N = 514) and a quantitative, survey-based study (Study 2; N = 456) to identify and examine relevant food management behaviors associated with domestic waste. Lastly, findings from a field experiment (Study 3; N = 210) suggest that a specific educational intervention, directed at increasing consumers' perceived skills related to food preparation planning behaviors, reduces domestic food waste. Implications of the research for policy makers and the food industry are discussed.

Thermophilic Digestion of Food Waste by Dilution: Ammonia Limit Values and Energy Considerations

Source segregated domestic food waste (FW) collected by Veolia Environmental Services was used as a test substrate for thermophilic anaerobic digestion in a laboratory-scale trial with semicontinuous feeding at an organic loading rate of 3 g of volatile solids (VS) L–1 day–1, reached after an acclimatization period of 60 days. The FW had a total Kjeldahl nitrogen content of 0.73% on a wet weight basis which, without dilution, gave a digestate total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of >5.0 g of N L–1. This led to the accumulation of propionic and other longer-chain volatile fatty acids (VFA), followed by a sharp increase in acetic acid, which was sufficient to overcome the ammonia buffering capacity, causing the pH to fall and gas production to cease. In digesters run in parallel, TAN concentrations were regulated by diluting the FW with water. This allowed the determination of critical threshold concentrations for TAN, and for free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) by calculation, and monitoring of the pattern o...

Biologically induced mineralization in anaerobic membrane bioreactors: Assessment of membrane scaling mechanisms in a long-term pilot study

Herein, we report on a mechanism of inorganic fouling observed in a pilot-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating high strength leachate from domestic food waste. Long-term operation (around 700 days) of the AnMBR encountered frequent, sudden irreversible fouling events driven by biologically induced mineral scaling which required intense chemical cleaning to recover membrane permeability. Mineral scale formation occurred on the surface and within pores of 100kDa ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The UF membrane rejected phosphorus, calcium and magnesium up to 97%, 92% and 60%, respectively, which suggests that these ions either precipitated ahead of the UF membranes and existed in a colloidal state and/or precipitated and were retained within UF membrane pores. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses combined with geochemical modeling confirmed hydroxyapatite, dolomite and struvite were the prevailing mineral precipitates coming from the methanogenic digester; these minerals were embedded in the cake layer and found within membrane pores. Geochemical modeling suggests that slower-growing minerals such as dolomite might precipitate within the membrane pore structures possibly causing membrane pore constriction and/or blocking. Combined use of HOCl (to oxidize and remove organic matter) and citric acid (to dissolve minerals and chelate divalent ions) proved the most effective cleaning regime to recover membrane permeability.

Appropriate participatory food waste management in the World Heritage Site, the Historic City of Ayutthaya

The waste problem in the Historic City of Ayutthaya is so serious that there are concerns it is affecting the image of the ancient city and may result in its deregistration as a World Heritage Site. An appropriate participatory food waste management system at this site was thus studied employing a quantitative method and Participatory Action Research (PAR) in order to create a decent urban environment and a good image for the World Heritage Site.The findings revealed that the primary barriers to participation in waste separation were the attitudes of the citizens concerning waste management and waste separation. The present study found that the majority of the sample group usually separated recyclable garbage (87.2%) but they did not separate food waste before disposing of their garbage (72.2%). In addition, by employing PAR to address the problem of food waste, it was found that the appropriate participatory food waste management strategy was “to produce bio-extract or bio-fertilizer from domestic food waste.” Thus, appropriate waste management and waste separation plans should identify a format for participation in which citizens can contribute to an essential part of the process. Furthermore, participants in the community could apply the process of PAR to solve additional community problems.

Disposal of Kitchen Waste from High Rise Apartment

The high rise building has numbers of floor and rooms having variety of users or tenants for residential purposes. The huge quantities of heterogenous mixtures of domestic food waste are generated from every floor of the high rise residential buildings. Disposal of wet and biodegradable domestic kitchen waste from high rise buildings are more expensive in regards of collection and vertical transportation. This work is intended to address the technique to dispose of the wet organic food waste from the high rise buildings or multistory building at generation point with the advantage of gravity and vermicomposting technique. This innovative effort for collection and disposal of wet organic solid waste from high rise apartment is more economical and hygienic in comparison with present system of disposal.