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VI. FOOD WASTE

Food waste is collected regularly by 71 5% of the housewives in the sample.

Included in regular collectors are all people who collect for their own pigs, chickens etc. Those who collect only for dogs or cats are not included.

There are no age differences and no differences between Social groups; in this respect food salvage differs from paper salvage. This supports the theory that the differences between Social groups are due to the different amount of material available for salvage. Food waste exists in every house poor or rich.

Differences of the amount collected in different towns is striking. Collected regularly: -

OVER 80% 61 - 80% 41 - 60% Less Than 40%

Key:

URBAN

RURAL

Rural collection of food waste is better than urban.

The distribution of containers, important in paper salvage, becomes vital in food salvage. All towns with over 80 per cent. of regular collectors of food waste had a very good distribution of containers.

“3,500 street bins have been distributed. The aim is to have at least one communal pig bin in every street. Separate vehicles are used to collect the food waste from these bins, at regular intervals”. (95.9%)

“Many communal bins were distributed throughout a borough - it was tried to put one in every street, an aim which could not be achieved completely as the borough could not get hold of enough pig bins”. (84.2% regular collectors)

“In a rural area nearly every house which has not pigs or chickens of its own has a bucket where food waste is collected and given to the neighbour”. (Rural area 88.3% regular collectors)

“There are bins for bones and for food refuse. They are placed in shopping centres so that salvage can be put into them when housewives go to shop each day”. (88.4% regular collectors)

This last example, as the figure of regular collectors shows, is a good system; it has only one disadvantage.

Dustman in this area -

“If housewives would only realize that pigs can’t eat paper, we have to throw away loads of stuff because it is all mixed up with newspaper”.

This difficulty could be dealt with by the provision of receptacles for the dirty paper in which the food waste is brought.

Another difficulty occurs in connection with public pig bins - the smell, if cleaning is not regular. Two towns solved the problem by securing the help of voluntary workers.

“I think it is a shame, the odd thing put into the communal pig bin. I am responsible for keeping it clean, and am going to wash it out this morning with my washing suds. There’s much too much waste of bread. Our dustmen have done awfully well and have been most obliging.” (Housewife)

Towns with a low number of regular food waste collectors have few or no containers.

“The Salvage Officer stated that 300 food bins have been provided for the city. But in the investigation which covered all districts we failed to find any evidence of this. The large majority of housewives interviewed said that they had to burn food waste for lack of collection facilities.” (40.8% regular collectors)

“Salvage Officer states it is impossible to provide people with special containers owing to the lack of material and cost.” (22.7% regular collectors)

If there are no proper containers the housewife who collects may become a nuisance.

“Pig food should not be put into messy bags; what shall we do with it - if we have no special container, we have to throw it into the refuse in the end.” (Dustman)

“Housewives should not put food waste on top of the dustbin lid; we can’t deal with it; it only messes the whole dustbin up and soaks through, which is not very nice.” (Dustman)

Relatively few national appeals were made for food waste during the months before this investigation. It was only mentioned in a general appeal. Local campaigns have therefore gained in significance. All the towns with more than 80% regular collectors had had a special effort in this direction.

“A lorry containing three little pigs paraded through the streets asking for food waste. Weekly collections jumped in three weeks to 200 tons and stayed there ever-since.” (95.5% regular collectors)

“We’ve had three special drives for food waste.” (85.0% regular collectors)