An Environmental and Economic Performance Comparison of the Food Waste Vacuum Collection and Kerbside Collection System with Anaerobic Digestion as the Final Treatment

Abstract

A kerbside collection has been ubiquitous in some of the developed countries as a mean of food waste collection from sources to a food waste recycling facility such as an anaerobic digestion plant. As an alternative, a novel system named vacuum collection appears with its potential of cutting the waste collection frequency which in turn, reducing waste management costs. In this particular study, the environment and economic performance between prevailing kerbside collection system and hypothetical alternative using vacuum collection system were identified and compared. For the latter system, both of environment and economic assessment were determined based on the existing model at one of the colleges in London, in which the data were adjusted to the condition on a dense commercial and domestic area. The results of the comparative study showed that the use of vacuum collection system would result in 50% more net energy compared to another system. This is primarily due to less greenhouse gas emissions released and greater potential of biogas yield from the food waste contained in the system. In addition, the level of air pollution caused by waste transportation activities would be reduced due to less total vehicle distance travelled. Furthermore, the food waste vacuum collection system could also reduce the associated environmental cost by a half compared to the prevailing kerbside system.