Review of caddy liner acceptance in Composting and AD

A bio-based polymer manufacturer commissioned NNFCC to carry out an independent expert review on the materials used to manufacture caddy liners, and their suitability for composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) if used for food waste collection in the UK. NNFCC was tasked with reviewing the regulations and standards in this area, and the challenges and opportunities faced by compost and AD site operators, based on perception or previous experiences.

NNFCC undertook desk-based research and subsequently engaged with relevant stakeholders to better understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the materials used to manufacture caddy liners for food waste collection, in regards to their processing through the respective channels.
As part of the desk-based research, NNFCC carried out a review of PAS100 and PAS110, including recent updates, to understand the baseline quality requirements for compost and digestate respectively, and in particular the specifications regarding plastic content. Other relevant documentation, such as the requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation (EN13432) were also reviewed to complete the regulatory appraisal.

NNFCC also provided an overview of the current status of the composting and digestate markets to gain an understanding of the current market size, and fate of markets outputs. NNFCC’s latest AD Deployment Report, the accompanying AD database and an in-house composting database were used as a starting point for this task.

Through a literature review NNFCC explored the most common materials used for the manufacture of caddy liners for food waste collection, and the opportunities and challenges associated with these materials when the collected food waste was presented for either composting or AD.
Subsequently, a series of semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders (from our vast network of contacts within the UK’s organics recycling sector) were held with the aim of validating the findings from the literature review, and to gain first-hand knowledge of the issues associated with processing these materials from the point of view of the composting and AD industries (which ultimately are handling the food waste).

As a result of our work, the client got a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with the processing of certain materials used to manufacture caddy liners for food waste collection through composting and AD, which will be used to inform their future business and marketing strategies.

 

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