Food going to waste

I’m not afraid to admit I’m a bit under the thumb, the better half does keep me in line and pretty much wears the pants most of the time, but yesterday she called me to tell me she’d be “keep fatting” and that making tea was my duty tonight.

She always cooks, I clean – it’s a house rule, she tells me she hates scraping food wastes off plates hates having to clean dishes, it’s a routine now and I’m happy to find myself with “fairy” soft hands whilst “head banging” what’s left of my greying hair over a frothy sink bowl listening to Australians with an aversion to different types of electrical current.

So what shall I make? Spag Bol.



Spag’ Bol’s a favourite of mine and probably the majority of the male populous of our little island, I’m so keen on mine I’ll even give you my recipe.
I know what pans I need as soon as I walk in the kitchen; I know what vegetables, how many stock cubes, how much chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and minced beef. I know when to put these together and in what order. It always takes the same amount of time and it always tastes just as good and it did again last night.

That’s what got me thinking, I was on autopilot last night and I made “Rocky’s Spag Bol” without even thinking, there were a total of 3 different pans, three processes at different temperatures and 11 different ingredients that made it, if you include water.

Now why do people think composting is so difficult I asked myself?

There’s only two “ingredients” in my composting, there’s only one piece of equipment. How do I get this across to people? So I’ve decided that when I talk with people to explain the simplicity of composting I’m going to ask them for a recipe. Every one knows a recipe, even if it’s jam on toast, if you can recite a recipe you’ve done it so many times its second nature.

The best composters are just that, it’s second nature, you just know what to do and what to look for, just like cooking. My best projects are just that too.

But the reverse will also be applied to certain situations. Occasionally I get asked about large composting projects that involve food waste. The client will picture composting like it’s a compactor or baler that you can just turn on or off, it’s not. It takes a little care and a little learning.

Imagine you’ve never stepped foot in the kitchen before, you’ve never seen an oven and you have never, ever made your own food. This kitchen though is a special kitchen, it’s huge and there is a single line menu on a table, but no recipe in sight. All the ingredients line the shelves around you, the clocks ticking and the “Maitre D” tells you you’ve got to cook Chicken Stroganoff for 200 people. Bugger.

Never get yourself in that situation, learn small, learn the recipe and grow the project that’s my advice. If you can make “Spag Bol” for two, blindfolded, then the chances are through pure mathematics you’ll be able to make it for 200.

The other I thought about too was, why is it sometimes it goes wrong?

If I was making “Rocky’s Spag Bol” last night and at a critical tomato puree moment, my better half took over – it’d go wrong. Why? Too many cooks spoil the broth. Simple.

So I’m going to use two cooking analogies when talking about composting food wastes, one the recipe and two, make sure that whoever uses the composting equipment is either limited by number or knowledge.

Have one or two people only, who know the recipe backwards and it works every time. Just like my Spag Bol.


Rocky

From Cars to Compost

Three and a half years ago on a sunny summer’s day, I strolled out from the new car showroom for what would be possibly my biggest decision in 10 years; little did I think so at the time though.

I’ve worked in the motor industry for 14 years and as a devout “petrol head” the only things that really “lit my fire” were the sounds of a highly tuned engine or the smell of burnt “Castrol R” two stroke motor oil. (other brands are also available)

I walked over to a customer who’s just been in for a service on his beloved estate car. I was presented with a bag of “brown muck” and told it was the future – and asked would I like a change of scenery? It was only the fact that my mother brought me up well, open doors for ladies and say please and thank you, that stopped me laughing, “I’ll think about it” was all I could summon in surprise at the time.

I did though, think about it that is. Good job I did.




Now my conversations have changed from service intervals, labour rate increases and
Cam-belts, to pay-back times, moisture content and composting exemptions and I’d like to think that I form part of a team that is industry leading in this area.

Three, four, years ago, those interested in composting, primarily, were not for profit organisations and the occasional “research” establishment, but this has changed, hugely in fact. As the clock ticks and 2009 is now well and truly here, it’s now the HE and FE sectors being the most driven in the investigation of composting and subsequently now our biggest client.

Composting what? One may ask, food wastes. Simple really, the Universities and colleges have read and understood what’s being asked of them and what’s actually needed. The landfill directive our councils are striving to meet is all about “organic” wastes, not glass, not rubber, plastic, used fridges, old boots and tin cans. It’s about organic wastes, we need ultimately to stop sending all waste to landfill – as it’s not a sensible approach at all, but of all the wastes we insist sticking in a hole in the ground, it’s the organic wastes that are causing gaseous emanations, a bit like the “cow trumping” we’ve all heard about. Difference is it’s easier to stop food waste going to landfill than convincing the cows to hold their “bottom breath”.

There’s a huge amount of food waste generated at a University. If you are one of those householders who recycle his or her food wastes at home, you’ll appreciate how much this might be. But let me help you. There’s a University, I’ll say it’s in “the Midlands” this way the Londoners know it’s north of Watford and those in Newcastle know it’s the “Southerners” in question this time, it has an average of around 15 cubic meters of food waste per week, that’s 12 tonnes to those who “picture” weights. That’s a lot of food waste. Every week, week in week out, they do have a lot of students though.

This food waste can be recycled on site, it’s as far as I’m aware the only waste that can truly be recycled on site, everything else you collect for recycling needs taking away to be processed and this means collections, trucks, carbon emissions and probably costs. In the recycling market as it is now with dry recyclables no longer being accepted by China and the revenue or savings you were previously counting on slip through the tightly clenched fingers of the finance department, you could be looking at not only a massive cost saving solution in composting, but a solution with other “benefits” included.

One of the most imaginative projects I always enthuse about and really love to see actioned is growing. Imagine the University or college in question not only composting their food wastes on site, but having a dedicated growing area too. I’m not talking growing rare breeds of English scented rose here, I’m talking spuds, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, I might even suggest tomatoes.

Now, you’re already ahead of me here I’m sure and know what’s coming next. Local food and food miles. You were right. I’d like to suggest to you that those who can compost their own food wastes on site set up a growing area on site and grow a portion of the food that the University uses every day. Just imagine the burger and chips with a side salad served in the main refectory at lunch time today, the tomato, the onion, the lettuce and the wedge chips all having come from the plot outside, brilliant.

Too much work one might say? Not necessarily, you see the students are also interested; it’s not just the Universities looking for solutions it’s the students talking to us too about composting. They are as interested as the establishment, with Universities green leagues being scoured by potential students for their choice of University before application and the students union putting pressure on the estates department for green solutions, perhaps we can encourage them to assist? If they’re looking for a University with Green Methods in place, sourcing local food and serving great meals, perhaps it’s not too much to ask in return.




















There are many Universities composting now, around 10% of them in fact, most have started with small “pilot” projects, just to make sure that they know how it works, once proven these pilots are then “up scaled” for larger projects to encompass greater waste volumes and some instances all the food wastes generated. But the stumbling block for the rest? Perceptions. Composting still has its pre-conceived perceptions, a back breaking smelly task, with piles and piles of compost reaching up to the windows of the Vice Chancellors Office. It’s not, there’s machinery to do it for you now and it’s really quite simple and when you “weigh” up the cost savings, the food waste issue becomes just that little bit more palatable.

I like many others were converted, my ideas of composting soon changed and I’d encourage you too to look at the possibility, looking costs you nothing, but do you remember that feeling you get when you discover something new and exciting? Doesn’t happen often does it?

Rocky