Title: Urban Food Waste generation: challenges and opportunities

Authors: Bijaya K. Adhikari, Suzelle F. Barrington, Jose Martinez

Addresses: Department of Bioresource Engineering, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore, Ste Anne de Bellevue (Quebec), H9X 3V9 Canada. ' Department of Bioresource Engineering, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore, Ste Anne de Bellevue (Quebec), H9X 3V9 Canada. ' Cemagref, Rennes Regional Centre, 17 avenue du Cucille, CS 64427, F-35044, Rennes, France

Abstract: Greater economic activity and a wider economic gap between rural and urban areas is leading to accelerated urbanisation and the generation of 35% more Urban Food Waste (UFW) from 2007 to 2025. Besides landfilling, this paper examines the advantages of introducing onsite composting and anaerobic digestion for the environmental recycling of UFW and the lowering of handling cost. For Asia and Africa, these solutions for UFW could reduce the mass of MSW by 43% and 55%, respectively, thus help there cities manage almost all of their MSW. For North America and Europe, such practice could reduce earth warming trends.

Keywords: urban waste; MSW; municipal solid waste; food waste; landfill; methane; on-site composting; anaerobic digestion; environmental recycling; fertiliser; community; handling costs; waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2009.024696

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2009 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.4 - 21

Published online: 15 Apr 2009 *

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