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.