Feasibility of automatic food waste collection for a university catering complex

Abstract

Hong Kong is facing an increasing challenge on food waste management due to limited landfill capacity and delayed construction of incineration facilities. Despite efforts have been made to promote the reduction and recycling of food waste, less than 1% of the waste is currently recovered and recycled. The green policy to enhance recycling capacity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of food waste treatment plants is hindered by less effective collection practices. This study presents the feasibility of the adaptation of a centralized food waste collection facility for university canteens, and evaluates the benefits of employing such collection system. The system is implemented in a university catering complex that houses 3 canteens with about 1,000 seats. Food waste is collected from disposal inlets, which is then automatically fragmented, de-watered and transported to a centralized storage tank for collection by waste trucks. The system is believed to streamline food waste handling processes in kitchen areas as it would require less space and manpower for operation as compared with existing manual collection practices. On-site monitoring and usage data collection of food waste will be carried out to evaluate system performance. Life-cycle costing analysis will also be performed to quantify total cost and to assess the cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of the system. User behaviour prior and after system installation will also be surveyed and analysed. Implications of the food waste collection system on the development of food waste recycling industry will be discussed.