Examining the Use of Food Waste Disposers - Environmental ...

3.2.9 Denmark
Consultation with Soil and Waste Department, Danish
Environmental Protection Agency
Each Danish municipality can choose whether or
not to permit the use of FWDs. However, the Danish
Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) concluded
from studies concerning the use of FWDs that they cannot
generally recommend the use of FWDs because:
• It is estimated that the use of FWDs will increase
water consumption.
• Using FWDs will cause a rise in sediment in the
sewers and reduce self-cleansing.
• WWTPs would need extra capacity to treat the
increased levels of organic material from FWDs.
Biogas production at the WWTP is required in order to
allow the utilisation of the energy in the organic waste.
Otherwise, the energy needed to dissolve the organic
waste in the wastewater would increase the energy
use and treatment costs at the plant significantly.
• An increased impact on the recipient/environment
is expected, for example, a risk for an increasing
pollution of heavy metals.
The DEPA is concerned that other types of waste
besides organic waste could be disposed of in the FWDs,
jeopardising many years of its work to reduce pollution at
source. Furthermore, it might give a poor-quality sludge at
the WWTP, unsuitable for agricultural use.
The DEPA feels that if the general introduction of FWDs
would bring socio-economic benefits, it would demand
a more detailed study to allow them to examine the
possibility of this. However, from existing studies of FWDs
and their environmental and economic impacts, the DEPA
cannot recommend this technology. FWDs are therefore
rarely used in Denmark.
Examining the Use of Food Waste Disposers
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3.2.10 The Netherlands
Consultation with Organic Management,
SenterNovem (agency of the Dutch Ministry of
Economic Affairs)
Each Dutch municipality is responsible for granting licences
for draining effluent to the sewerage system and the control
and maintenance of these licence conditions. The Dutch
government advocates a system of source separation for
organic waste, and the practice of composting is regarded
as better for environmental reasons: sending food waste
to sewer is not seen as a form of waste recovery. The use
of FWDs in all municipalities has been banned since the
1960s: this was based on a concern with the obstruction
of the sewer system and a deterioration in the treatment
of wastewater.
3.2.11 Belgium
Consultation with Brussels Environment and Public
Flemish Waste Product Society
FWDs are not banned although there are restrictions on
their use. De-watering units, which collect and crush food
particles, are permitted and food collected in this manner
can subsequently be brought to composting plants.
Article 4 of national legislation (3 August, 1976 relating
to discharges of the water used in ordinary surface
water, in the public sewers and of rain water run-off)
however prohibits ‘the discharge of solid waste subjected
beforehand to a mechanical crushing, or water containing
such crushed matters in ordinary surface water and the
public sewers’. This means that food can be ground but
not flushed away through the sewers. Additional reasons
for this prohibition include the contribution of solid waste
from in-sink FWDs to pipe blockages and the development
of putrefaction and odours in the sewers.