Case Study

Objectives

The goal of the Loftus Hospitality case was to divert as much organic waste as possible from landfill sites for Loftus Campus teaching kitchen food waste through the implementation of the Pulpmaster Organic Recycling System.

The objectives were:

1. To analyse the current organic waste stream of the teaching kitchens at Loftus
2. To identify the volume of organic waste and other recyclables
3. To implement the Pulpmaster Food Waste Recycling System
4. To reduce the use of plastic bin liners
5. To reduce waste to landfill
6. To reduce OH&S risks
7. To reduce waste managements costs
8. To enhance the environment

Results

After a 12 month period in which significant testing and analysis continued, results were listed according to three categories: environmental and social, occupational health and safety, and financial.

Environmental & Social

The benefits of the Pulpmaster Organic Recycling System were to be seen in the following:

• a reduction in black plastic bags to landfill, estimated at 10,200 bags
• a reduction of organic food waste to landfill of 84 tonnes, with a corresponding reduction of approximately 77 tonnes of methane
• the production of sustainable green electricity with a corresponding 259 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions
• green energy produced provided power for 86 homes for a month
• the production of 8.4 tonnes of organic fertilizer produced from organic food waste
• recycling of non-food recyclable waste totaling 22.24 tonnes

Occupational Health & Safety

The benefits of the Pulpmaster Organic Recycling System were to be seen in the following:

• reduced back strain risk through the reduction in carrying heavy food waste bags to the outside dumpster bin
• reduced slip/fall risk through the reduced risk of plastic bag and spent cooking oil spillage on the floors
• reduced vector attraction through improved hygiene and odour reduction in the back of house and outside waste storage facility
• the elimination of fruit fly activity from the kitchen area

Financial

The benefits of the Pulpmaster Organic Recycling System were to be seen in the following:

• a reduction in waste disposal costs to landfill totaling $4,800 per annum
• a reduction in the cost of black plastic bags totaling $1,020 per annum
• savings in kitchen labour efficiencies of $4,000 per annum
• reduction in cooking oil disposal costs of $2,000 per annum
• cost of Pulpmaster system installation paid back after 7 months