Auckland's food scrap bins

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2808 posts

Uber Geek

#3115692 14-Aug-2023 13:29

Has anyone evaluated the net emissions of the food waste collection program? I imagine the trucks collecting it all and the earthmoving machinery that digs and covers it all up and so on emit quite a lot of CO2.

How would that compare to putting food scraps down the waste disposer and then on to the Mangere waste treatment process where it would be likely converted into sludge and methane?

Canuckabroad

179 posts

Master Geek

#3115696 14-Aug-2023 13:42

When they announced the scheme they mentioned that the trucks transporting it for processing were already driving back empty from other runs - so there wouldn't be a big increase in energy from doing so - but I expect there would still be emissions from the actual door to door collection unless it's the same truck as does rubbish.

johno1234

2808 posts

Uber Geek

#3115698 14-Aug-2023 13:45

Canuckabroad:

When they announced the scheme they mentioned that the trucks transporting it for processing were already driving back empty from other runs - so there wouldn't be a big increase in energy from doing so - but I expect there would still be emissions from the actual door to door collection unless it's the same truck as does rubbish.

That's hard to follow - would have thought the route would be optimised so that there's no "driving back empty" part. Not the same truck for us - the red bins are picked up and emptied by a claw that won't pick up the little scraps bin.

Canuckabroad

179 posts

Master Geek

#3115700 14-Aug-2023 13:52

The processing happens in the Waikato, and it's transported there via trucks which have already made a delivery to Auckland (and it's suggested they previously were driving back empty).

"The food scraps collection will not be putting any extra trucks on the road. Food scraps will be collected by trucks that are already in Auckland and ready to return to the Waikato, where rukenga kai will be converted to clean energy and fertiliser."

johno1234

2808 posts

Uber Geek

#3115736 14-Aug-2023 15:04

Canuckabroad:

The processing happens in the Waikato, and it's transported there via trucks which have already made a delivery to Auckland (and it's suggested they previously were driving back empty).

"The food scraps collection will not be putting any extra trucks on the road. Food scraps will be collected by trucks that are already in Auckland and ready to return to the Waikato, where rukenga kai will be converted to clean energy and fertiliser."

OK, would be consolidated transport to Waikato - back-haul of trucks that were delivering construction aggregate Auckland - not the same trucks that do kerbside collection - which is what I was wondering about.

But what about the actual kerbside collection? The existing household waste collection trucks can't do it - they have one load chamber and it is loaded by a claw that is designed to pick up the red top bins.

Benoire

2798 posts

Uber Geek

#3115739 14-Aug-2023 15:23

Yes there are emissions but they are not as bad as the products created once food goes in to landfill to rot away or the impact on our streams and harbours from nutrients that shouldn't be present if washed down the sink. Aucklands waste firms are moving to EV trucks so this will reduce some of the direct tailpipe emissions.

johno1234

2808 posts

Uber Geek

#3116743 16-Aug-2023 13:59

Waste Management engineer reckons our recycling and more so food waste collection is greenwashing.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/recycling-a-fraud-and-food-scraps-collection-subsidised-greenwashing-landfill-engineer-says/467POCU6IVAP5HZD2YIFZV4OO4/

I guess the question is: do those meat trays get recycled again or buried in a landfill?

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wellygary

8328 posts

Uber Geek

#3116805 16-Aug-2023 15:23

Canuckabroad:

The processing happens in the Waikato, and it's transported there via trucks which have already made a delivery to Auckland (and it's suggested they previously were driving back empty).

"The food scraps collection will not be putting any extra trucks on the road. Food scraps will be collected by trucks that are already in Auckland and ready to return to the Waikato, where rukenga kai will be converted to clean energy and fertiliser."

They throw out the term "Waikato" because to those in AK its "just down the expresssway"...

The plant is in Reparoa, halfway between Taupo and Rotorua, so its 200 kms south of the Bombay hills,

They claim that there are 100,000 tonnes annually in AK food scraps heading to local landfills, even at 40 tonne per truck thats 25,000 trips, or 70 trucks a day,....

Canuckabroad

179 posts

Master Geek

#3116833 16-Aug-2023 16:35

If 70 trucks per day were already making trips to Auckland and returning unburdened such that this is making better use of vehicles already travelling - it gives some sense of the numbers already travelling.

mkissin

391 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#3116874 16-Aug-2023 18:13

wellygary:

They throw out the term "Waikato" because to those in AK its "just down the expresssway"...

The plant is in Reparoa, halfway between Taupo and Rotorua, so its 200 kms south of the Bombay hills,

They claim that there are 100,000 tonnes annually in AK food scraps heading to local landfills, even at 40 tonne per truck thats 25,000 trips, or 70 trucks a day,....

Based on comments in this very thread, I doubt there's a high level of people engaging with the program.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3220103 18-Apr-2024 22:23

I'd given the food scraps bin to some friends who were using it for bokashi composting but they moved overseas a few months ago and gave it back. It's now been sitting at the side of the kitchen for around three months and has attracted exactly zero food scraps (I counted them twice).

I've also asked someone at the council involved with the program what I can do with it: no, we have very little food waste and in any case already compost with existing bins, I don't fish so can't use it as a fish bin, and taking it with us for a picnic or something is pointless since we already have a hamper and in any case aren't likely to have any food scraps left afterwards.

Can anyone in Orkland / North shore use an extra food scraps bin? It seems a shame to just, uh, make it disappear, but since it'll never be used and is taking up space I need to get rid of it somehow.

Canuckabroad

179 posts

Master Geek

#3220107 18-Apr-2024 22:36

I support the programme because I know a lot of people don't compost, but mine is languishing just like yours. I did throw some chicken bones into it one time and forgot about it until I noticed a maggot crawling on our counter...it hasn't been used again since. We compost all our fruit and veg which significantly outweighs the meat scraps that we would put into this - but our council compost bin hasn't gone out more than a couple times since it arrived.

Hopefully others are getting better use of theirs.

jlittle

188 posts

Master Geek

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Subscriber

#3220110 18-Apr-2024 22:52

The food scraps bin was just a slight change to our well established practice.

We've used the old 240 L wheelie bin as a digester for food scraps, with a 2 L ice cream container on the bench, and a 9 L bucket by the back door, for many years. It was amazingly effective at minimizing rubbish, taking years to fill the digester; the record was 10 years. We avoided meat scraps and eggs-shells (for fear of rats) and coffee grounds (which slowed the digestion, making it fill up), but now they go in too.

mudguard

2119 posts

Uber Geek

#3220119 19-Apr-2024 06:43

I must admit it has been great for us. Our poor old sink waste disposal has barely been used since.

That said there's two of us and I travel so our waste is the small pink bag once a week at best.

Senecio

2713 posts

Uber Geek

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Lifetime subscriber

#3220120 19-Apr-2024 07:01

Our's goes out every week. With only two of us its usually only one 1 pink bag a week.We still use the waste disposal sink for liquid scraps like the leftover sauce from a curry but everything else goes in the scraps bins.

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