Food caddy

 

Today is the first day of food caddy collection From our ‘doorstep’ by the local council. It seems a little belated and has been divisive. Reading the marketing material that has accompanied this change in waste collection Has brought to mind my first LinkedIn post On Halfway to Net Zero, also published in chemical industry journal https://www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk/on-halfway-to-net-zero.

This is because One of the ways in which Council food caddy schemes provide environmental benefits is diversion of the food waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The methane which arises is 2800% more potent than CO2, Having a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of 28.

When I responded to claims that the UK were halfway to net zero, I noted that the inroads we had made to date were largely from one offs such as closing the coalmines, banning CFCs and reducing methane emissions from landfill. Not to mention a pandemic.

“It has taken 30 years – and a pandemic – for UK emissions to fall 51%“

We have taken the low hanging fruit. Making it somewhat disingenuous to suggest that over the 24 years that remain, we can repeat that trick.

But as we move from fruit to fruit-peel The collected food waste will go one step further. Beyond diversion from landfill and so the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions The caddy initiative will also Provide feed stock for the production of renewable energy in fertiliser.

It is clear that if we are to continue on our path to 0 a great many smaller initiatives will be necessary To match the Bigg wins Of the first 30 years.