TIDY PLANET SUPPLY A GLOBAL MARKET OF DIFFERENT FOOD WASTE PRODUCERS WITH EQUIPMENT TO RECYCLE, REDUCE OR GENERATE ENERGY
Since starting out as an infant company in 2001 we’ve learnt a huge amount about the different types and forms of food wastes and their producers, to landfill and incinerator operators this has no particular impact, but when you’re trying to minimise, recycle or generate energy, the type of food waste the volumes, weights, acidity levels, contamination and oil levels matter as much as the practicalities of logistics, services, space and manual handling for the site looking to deal with the wastes. What you will find when dealing with us is more a consultative approach which will enable us to either confirm or help identify the best solution to the problem. Below is a non exhaustive list of some of the sectors we have been working with.
MINING OIL & GAS EXPLORATION
Applications Include:
- Oil and Gas Pipeline Labour Camps: With applications across Turkey, Azerbaijan and the former Russian State of Georgia, Tidy Planet are suppliers to 7 different locations for large scale equipment to generate energy from the food wastes at these 400-2000 person sites. With the sites needing a solution that prevents waste being backhauled many miles to registered facilities, having a robust unit on hand that generates the heating and hot water for the kitchens, shower block and laundry is ideal. The Dragon is a scalable solution and can be provided for sites with 200-10,000 staff on site.
- Remote Mines & Mine Labour: With remote mines often come some unusual reasons for wanting to treat food wastes on site, from preventing bear attacks in Alaska to snake bites in Africa, but treating food wastes at source in remote applications where landfill or uncontrolled dumping of wastes is no longer permitted, on site Rocket composting to allow the use of a composted end product for land remediation is often chosen. Otherwise as with the oil and gas industry the Dragon food waste to energy system a preferred alternative providing a simple “on off” robust method of turning the food wastes into useable energy, within a minimal footprint.
HOTEL & HOSPITALITY
Applications include:
- Remote island luxury hotels: Environmental pressure and clientele expectations have seen a rise in applications for “on Island” solutions. With increasing pressure to reduce the disposal of food wastes at sea and having minimal access to waste management providers, these often high temperature sites need a solution that deals with the food wastes before putrification, odours and vermin cause an equal nuisance. On site composting using the Rocket range with pre-treatment by the Dehydra dewatering systems have been the most popular choice with the obvious added benefit of a useable fertilizer to benefit the arid soils
- Luxury Hotel Chains: Dubai, Italy, Portugal, Greece, the UK and Hong Kong, who along with high bedroom occupancy rates are running spas, conferencing facilities and golf clubs as part of the overall business model are generating larger volumes of food waste. Most often than not the sites come with extensive grounds and gardens and the logical equipment in these instances is Rocket in vessel composting. Not all sites though are blessed with these green areas and instead look for a minimisation option to reduce disposal costs. The ultimate in minimisation in all instances is the use of the Gobi dryer, which is a particularly useful system because of the effects it has on the food wastes once dried and the 80% volume and weight reduction. Hotels in lower temperatures without the worry of heat speeding up the effects of the rotting process of discarded foods have taken to Dehydra dewatering as a cost effective method of food waste disposal / minimisation
- High Street Eateries / Chain Restaurants: Typically this sector of hospitality has much lower volumes of preparation waste, higher volumes of wet food wastes particularly from plate scrapings and limited space for waste handling equipment due to being town / city based to guarantee footfall. In one particular instance we have implemented a two part package to minimise food wastes for a well known UK chain, reducing their food waste disposal volumes by a staggering 95% and subsequently improving their dry recycling by minimising contamination.
EDUCATION
Applications include:
- Multi Site University Campus: Leading the curve, Universities in particular were amongst the first sectors to realise the importance of dealing with food wastes and as early as 2006 the Universities took to Rocket in vessel composting and food waste dewatering. With multi campus applications and the importance of cost saving through the bulking together of wastes, bringing food wastes into a centralised process made most sense. Each of the campus refectories taking on Dehydra food dewatering systems to minimise the wastes before being transported to a centralised in vessel composting system. The sites tending to have grounds and gardens on which to utilise compost – a perfect application that can be seen using our equipment in Canada, the US and the UK. For those universities with boarding on site or swimming pools, the second option being the Dragon energy system for creating the heating and hot water needed at site as an alternative to fertilizer.
- Private Boarding Schools: With hi end catering, plenty of fresh foods needing preparation and up to 1000 students boarding on site, means three meals per day and a plentiful share of plate scrapings and prep wastes. Again a perfect application around the UK and the US for on site in vessel composting and dewatering. City centre based boarding schools preferring the use of food waste minimisation equipment, the Dehydra dewatering system and the Gobi food waste dryer to create a simple cost reduction on disposal charges.
FOOD MANUFACTURE & DISTRIBUTION
Applications Include:
- Packaged food wastes from Multi Distribution Centres (Confidential in progress energy generation and cooling) Food wastes destined to be sent to AD at a 6 figure cost are to be used as fuel for energy generation on site, with the energy being used to chill fresh foods awaiting delivery
- Settled Food Waste (DAF) Sludges or cake – Oil extraction and energy generation (Confidential 1000tpa) High oil content food production, sauces in particular are washed and sent to settlement tanks, the wastes once settled are tankered away from site and treated by off site Anaerobic Digestion. In this application the oily wastes are treated on site, the oil split and used for an on site energy generation system (electricity and heat) and the foods are further processed and used to generate energy in the form of steam.
- Deep fried food manufacture: The oils previously sent at low rebate levels are treated on site, filtered and cleaned, the dry “crumb” residues are used as a fuel for the generation of steam and the oils used in the on site generation of electricity
- Bakery Wastes: High energy low moisture content materials are a great source of high calorie energy. Often these wastes are packed and sent at higher disposal rates to AD and composting, however Tidy Planet have an ingenious method of dealing with packed food wastes which ultimately produces energy in the form of hot water, steam or cooling
PRISONS PENITENTIARY & HIGH SECURITY SITES
Applications include:
- Power Stations: Small amounts of food waste but high collection costs due to the high security needed, vehicles often having to wait to enter site for lengthy periods increases the disposers charge rates. With lower number of staff on site but working 24/7 the sites need a simple solution to minimise wastes. The Gobi dryer being a best solution, not only minimising the wastes but producing a sterile and inert product that can be stored for lengthy periods without the worry of vermin attraction or putrification.
- Embassies: Leading by example we have larger embassies taking equipment to treat the food wastes by Rocket in vessel composting, eliminating the need for off site disposal, the security risks of extra staff and vehicles on site decrease and a useful product is produced
- Prisons / penitentiary: Huge numbers of inmates and staff to care for them, the prison system feeding 3 meals per day generates particularly high volumes of food wastes. With the clear security risk of vehicle movements, keeping these wastes from leaving site is a preferred method where possible. Rocket In vessel composting not only provides this on site method of dealing with the wastes but also allows education for the inmates as part of waste management courses taught as rehabilitation. Most recently the Dragon concept of energy generation on site has also proved appealing for helping reduce the sites needs for fossil fuel heating, where the Dragon system can generate energy in the form of heating and hot water to help power the shower blocks and the sites laundry
- Military Bases: Both types of deployment at home in Barracks on operation in the field, the sites need a simple solution that is in line with best practice, bearing in mind that a solution that prevents waste leaving site is preferred. For UK military bases in vessel composting has been preferred and it is also possible to treat wood wastes generated at site by pre-shredding and composting with the foods. Most recently with the development of the Dragon, field bases have expressed an interest in the fully containerised food waste to energy solution because of its simple “on / off” ability to generate energy, simple mechanics and robust portable construction.
AIRLINE CATERING
Applications include:
- Major Airline catering: In Europe food wastes that are derived from food that has been created outside of the EU must be disposed of in a different manner to all other food wastes, these wastes are termed as CAT1 ICW(category 1 International catering wastes). These wastes can only be disposed at several registered sites in the UK where the cost for transportation to and the subsequent disposal of these wastes is high. Tidy Planet have been working on a new solution that meets EU and UK approval, the first application of equipment will be Spring 2016. This application will also be applicable for ICW derived from cruise liners at seaports around the UK / Europe.
- Airline Logistic Partner: Currently in application and expanding in 2016 DHL logistics use 2.4 tonne Gobi dryers to treat catering wastes from EU destination airlines for BA, the packaged food wastes are minimised before being disposed from airside. Minimising wastes not only reduces costs, but transportation and security checks for lessened vehicle movements
MARINE VESSELS
Applications include:
- Luxury Yachts: With space a premium on most luxury yachts having a system on board that that can reduce the volume and weight of the wastes is key – we have a growing number of Gobi drying systems being specified as the alternative to cold storage of food wastes
- Exploration Vessels: Being at sea for lengthy periods of time and in certain areas no longer being allowed to dispose of food wastes directly to sea, means that the food wastes have to be stored on ship. Traditionally the wastes are either frozen – but this takes up valuable space in the fresh food freezer, or stored in bins on ship, but in hot temperatures these wastes expand give off gas and become a hazard, using the Gobi dryer and producing a sterile inert material 80% less in weight and volume that will no longer putresce is a perfect solution.
FISH AND MARINE WASTES
Applications Include:
- Fish Mortalities in fish farming (Confidential multi site application 2000tpa)
- Marine wastes other (Confidential Multi Site Waste minimisation 1500tpa)