Food Waste Management. An Innovative Approach

Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Environmental Sciences, , language: English, abstract: Biodegradable component of municipal solid waste (MSW) may vary but generally is about 60 %, and food waste is about 60 % of the biodegradable component. In a city like Delhi, a total of 8000 MT day -1 MSW is generated (CPCB 2012) and food waste may account for about 2700 MT. Food waste is generated by households, hotels and restaurants etc, and market places. Due to deficient collection and ineffective monitoring and control, food waste is thrown on the street and footpaths, eventually being swept away in drains causing choking of drains and eutrophication. Cooked food to the extent of 40 - 60 % is wasted in different countries, and India is no exception. Putrefying food waste attracts flies, rodents, rats, dogs, birds, and all sorts of scavengers, emit foul smell, and causes environmental degradation. Flies are a known vector of many communicable diseases. Birds get attracted to the putrefying waste by itself, as well by the maggots which may breed in the putrefying food waste. Bird hits are a common cause of aircraft disability, including disasters. Current system of collection transportation and disposal by composting has not been successful in any urban locality in India. Composting require large area of land (not easily available). Treated compost by compost machines also require storage for curing for a period, at least for 7-10 days before it can be used as manure. Energy recovery requires sophisticated equipment, and transfer of the waste in shortest possible time so that energy content in food waste does not get dissipated, and may be a factor for climate change. As per Indian rules (MSW Rules 2000), food waste is to be composted and not sent to landfill. Considering the inadequacy in proper food waste management, and its damaging fallout on the environment and human health, a system of food waste management by application of thermal energy, a non- burn process has been developed and tested. Putrefaction process in the food waste is arrested by destroying the enzymes, and the end product can be used as manure or source of fuel, as the treated waste retains nutrients and calorific value. Advantages are that it is environment friendly process; end products are reusable, and the saves on carbon dioxide and methane emission, essential part of burn technology. Being non- burn process it qualifies for carbon credit.

Air Mshl (Dr) LK Verma, AVSM (Retd), MBBS, M Sc (Ecology and Environment), Ph D, (Hospital Waste Management) Profile: - Former Dir Gen Medical Services, Indian Air Force Dr Verma's deep rooted interest in issues of biomedical waste management is well known. He took initiative and formed Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management in year 2000. He has undertaken many research projects and has authored many papers in national and international journals, and a book, 'Managing Healthcare Waste- a Practical Approach'. He has recently completed (as consultant), a UNICEF supported project to strengthen biomedical waste management in the state of Jharkhand, India, which involved initial survey, and training to Dy Suptds and Managers of the Govt Hospitals of the state on TOT mode. He was awarded Hon Fellowship of Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (2002), and Founding Fellow of the Indian Society of hospital Waste Management (2011). He has held a number of workshops and was a resource person on WHO-SEARO and IGNOU collaborative programme for developing Certificate Course in Healthcare Waste Management, and held discussions and workshops. Dr Verma is known not only in the country but in many parts of the world for his pioneering work in healthcare waste management in India. Academically, he remains busy in writing papers, articles, and peer review of papers/abstracts for international journals, and conferences. Two books containing his articles and papers have been recently published by LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Germany. He is a published author in Hindi and English in literature, poetry, socio-political issues and philosophy. His published books are 3 of Hindi Poetry, one Hindi play, one English poetry anthology, and two books on waste management and on India's social and political issues. His books are listed on amazon.in and amazon.com and can be accessed by author's name : Laljee Verma. His latest book "Karma, its Applicability and Relevance in Day to Day life" was published in 2016. Widely reported on internet.