Food waste and waste management are hitting the headlines at the moment. However, in the world of markets, they are areas that have been under close scrutiny for several years.
European wholesale markets were annually marketing around 33 million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables (about 40 per cent of the amount consumed in Europe) at the time of our last member survey on waste management in 2006. Wholesale market customers are often independent stores and street markets, both sectors that require large volumes and the outside organisation of either their produce supply or their waste management. These factors and others have combined to bring waste management costs for the average wholesale market to somewhere between five and 10 per cent of the total annual turnover of the market authority.
Faced with this challenge and expense, wholesale markets everywhere have had to think creatively and efficiently about waste issues. With necessity being the mother of invention, many of our member markets have explored, or are still exploring, new and innovative ideas to ensure a waste management system that works for the market and its traders, as well as the local community.
With that in mind, the theme for this year’s WUWM Market Awards is the sustainable operation of markets. Wholesale markets from several European countries participated in the 2009 awards and I am happy to take this opportunity to share with you one of the award submissions received from a member market in the UK. New Smithfield Market in Manchester has been setting new standards for both waste management and reduced food waste. A recent polystyrene recycling initiative has been successfully trialled to support the market’s waste management systems. The market recently granted a tenancy to Fareshare Northwest, a community interest company that collects surplus food to be given to charities and the disadvantaged.
To explain further, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a lightweight, rigid cellular plastic made from styrene, a by-product of crude oil extraction also found naturally in foods such as strawberries, nuts and beans. A purpose-built bailer was installed at the market for tenants to deposit their polystyrene waste. The bailed product is transported to specialist companies where the material is processed to make items such as picture and mirror frames, CD and video cases, foam packaging, coat hangers and synthetic timber. Since its introduction, the market has prevented more than 36t of polystyrene going to landfill and saved more than £35,000 in waste collection. The ease and speed of the bailer has made it popular with tenants and the local retail markets are now diverting their polystyrene to the wholesale market for processing as well.
In its current partnership with Fareshare Northwest, New Smithfield Market is now separating food products not fit for purchase, diverting this to the Fareshare distribution hub on site where it is processed and distributed to the local community. All accepted food complies with food safety legislation and reasonable care is taken to ensure that the food supplied is appropriately labelled to safeguard Fareshare’s consumers and the tenants’ brand integrity. Since its inception, the programme has distributed nearly 1,000t of food for human consumption, assisting the disadvantaged within the local community, while significantly contributing to the market’s waste reduction strategy. Such initiatives are especially pleasing at a time when the news is full of stories of how much perfectly edible food is thrown away to landfill each day.
WUWM believes that food distribution cannot be a business run exclusively by economic consideration. As food is essential to human life, its distribution must comply with several social and ethical goals. New Smithfield Market in Manchester is another fine example of these values in action.
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