Proceedings

Member States of the EU are required to divert biodegradable waste away from disposal to landfill, and Food Waste Disposal Units (FWDs) can help to meet this requirement. FWDs mechanically grind up food waste which then goes into the sewer as an integral part of urban wastewater for treatment at the sewage works. FWDs can be used in the domestic household and in commercial catering and food production premises so their potential application is significant. About 50 million units are in operation world wide. They are often used in Europe in commercial kitchens and food preparation premises but less so in the home. FWDs have the capability to divert grindable organic waste away from the municipal solid waste route and into the urban wastewater stream which can have environmental benefits especially in cities where home-composting is impractical. By diverting biodegradable food waste away from landfill, FWDs can contribute to achieving the targets in The Landfill Directive. This paper reviews various aspects of FWDs including their history, mechanics, inputs to wastewater and treatability issues, potential contribution to achieving recycling targets for biodegradable waste, and an environmental assessment compared with conventional food waste disposal practices. This provides an opportunity to evaluate FWDs and their potential contribution to the recycling of organic waste.

KEY WORDS Environmental impact, food waste disposal units, FWDs, Landfill Directive targets, recycling,