Current Situation
The Ministry of LNV aims to optimize the re-use of residuals. One of currently under-utilized waste streams is swill (kitchen waste, category 3): organic (and therefore recyclable) food residues and leftovers. Aside from households, the hospitality sector, company canteens and kitchens in healthcare institutions in particular often have large quantities of swill which they are obliged to recycle separately if the amount exceeds 200 kilos per week.
Swill is typically processed into biogas and soil improver
On the ladder of Moerman, which shows the most efficient ways of using waste, this processing is low on the ladder (fermentation, composting and burning on 5, 6 and 7 out of 8, respectively).
The (re)use of swill is currently under strict regulations
The reason for these strict regulations is that swill could contain animal by-products. When used as animal feed, these can cause diseases like foot and mouth disease and swine fever. While regulations might change in the future, turning kitchen waste into (raw) materials for industry is currently the best option according to the ladder of Moerman (ranking 4 out of 8, triumphing composting and burning).
What are we looking for?
LNV is looking for a process or technology to effectively and safely get swill back into the production chain – or develop another commercially viable utilization of this waste stream.
What are we not looking for?
We are not looking for ways to turn swill into animal feed. There are safe ways to do this, but due to EU regulations, it’s currently not an option in the Netherlands.
What is the impact?
In 2017, a total of 1.7 million tonnes of green waste was processed. Helping LNV to find better methods to safely process swill and increase commercially viable utilization of this waste stream on the market will also make for new business opportunities and a cleaner planet.
