Spilling the Beans on Smarter Food Waste Data
Our commercial food waste service has been diverting kitchen leftovers and plate waste from landfill to an anaerobic digestion facility since early 2022. This innovative facility generates energy, contributes to the sustainability of Adur and Worthing, and, importantly, helps businesses comply with evolving regulations.
From March 2025, most organisations will be legally required to separate food waste from other waste as part of the government’s Simpler Recycling scheme. Residents will also begin receiving kerbside food waste collections next year.
To ensure transparency and optimise our services, the team is using RFID (radio frequency identification) tags on our food waste bins. As our crews empty the bins, the weight is automatically recorded and digitally logged. This real-time data allows us to optimise collection routes and schedules for maximum efficiency. This data-driven approach is at the core of the team’s evolving waste management strategy.
We are now empowering businesses by providing them access to this valuable data through a dedicated self-service website. Organisations using our commercial food waste service can now digitally track their waste diversion progress and gain granular insights into their food waste generation patterns. The portal also provides access to other essential information, such as collection schedules and documentation, all in one centralised digital hub.
Harnessing the Power of Digital Data for a Sustainable Future
The RFID technology underpinning our food waste collection service is more than just a tracking tool; it’s a robust digital data collection system. Each RFID tag acts as a unique digital identifier, enabling us to monitor the movement and weight of individual bins with precision. This level of granular data provides invaluable insights into waste generation trends at the business level. By analysing this digital data, we can in future identify trends, pinpoint areas of high waste generation, and offer targeted digital support and advice to businesses looking to reduce their food waste.
As food waste collection expands, including kerbside collections from residents next year, this type digital data will become even more crucial. We are also now starting to digitally capture some commercial general refuse weight data, which will allow us to identify areas for further improvement and ensure our services remain as effective as possible. By understanding the digital patterns of both food waste and general refuse, we can optimise collection routes, enhance efficiency, and better support our community’s recycling efforts. This digital, data-driven approach enables us to make informed, strategic decisions, contributing significantly to our sustainability goals and fostering a more environmentally conscious Adur and Worthing.
