Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Food waste collection and recycling for value-added products: potential applications and challenges in Hong Kong

  • Biological waste as resource, with a focus on food waste
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

About 3600 tonnes food waste are discarded in the landfills in Hong Kong daily. It is expected that the three strategic landfills in Hong Kong will be exhausted by 2020. In consideration of the food waste management environment and community needs in Hong Kong, as well as with reference to the food waste management systems in cities such as Linköping in Sweden and Oslo in Norway, a framework of food waste separation, collection, and recycling for food waste valorization is proposed in this paper. Food waste can be packed in an optic bag (i.e., a bag in green color), while the residual municipal solid waste (MSW) can be packed in a common plastic bag. All the wastes are then sent to the refuse transfer stations, in which food waste is separated from the residual MSW using an optic sensor. On the one hand, the sorted food waste can be converted into valuable materials (e.g., compost, swine feed, fish feed). On the other hand, the sorted food waste can be sent to the proposed Organic Waste Treatment Facilities and sewage treatment works for producing biogas. The biogas can be recovered to produce electricity and city gas (i.e., heating fuel for cooking purpose). Due to the challenges faced by the value-added products in Hong Kong, the biogas is recommended to be upgraded as a biogas fuel for vehicle use. Hopefully, the proposed framework will provide a simple and effective approach to food waste separation at source and promote sustainable use of waste to resource in Hong Kong.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Based on a local newspaper, the plant owner of the Kowloon Biotechnology Limited will work with the South China Reborn Resources (Zhongshan) Company Limited once the food waste processing plant in Ecopark is operated (Mingpao 2012).

References

  • Al Seadi T, Owen N, Hellström H, Kang H (2013) Source separation of MSW. IEA Bioenergy, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Appels L, Lauwers J, Degrève J, Helsen L, Lievens B, Willems K, Van Impe J, Dewil R (2011) Anaerobic digestion in global bio-energy production: potential and research challenges. Renew Sust Energ Rev 15:4295–4301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AQSIQ, Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (2014) Quarantine access procedures for agricultural products to be imported to China for the first time. http://www.aqsiq.gov.cn/xxgk_13386/ywxx/dzwjy /201406/t20140626_416136.htm Accessed 20 August 2014

  • BCEP, Biofuel Cities European Partnership (2014) Biofuel cities reports and recommendations—survey 2007: needs assessment. European Commission

  • IEA Bioenergy (2014) Task 37: Biogas in the Society. 100 % biogas for urban transport in Linköping, Sweden: biogas in buses, cars and trains. Sweden

  • Boisen P, Lage M (2009) Fact sheet: NG/biomethane used as vehicle fuel. NGVA Europe, Madrid, Spain

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbon Disclosure Project (2012) Technical note: conversion of fuel data to MWh. London, UK

  • DEFRA, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2012) Ban on feeding of kitchen scraps to pet poultry and other pet farmed animals. http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/disease- control/abp/collect-feed/ban-kitchen-scraps-pet/. Accessed 14 August 2014

  • Dodson JR (2011) Wheat straw ash and its use as a silica source. PhD thesis, University of York, UK

  • DSD, Drainage Services Department (2011) 2011 Environmental report. Hong Kong

  • DSD, Drainage Services Department (2013) 2012-2013 Sustainability report. Hong Kong

  • EC, European Commission (2002) Health and consumer: food. Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002. http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/animalbyproducts/legisl_en.htm. Accessed 30 August 2014

  • Ejlertsson J, Magnusson B (2013) Maximizing biogas production at a South Korean biogas plant. Scandinavian Biogas, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  • EMSD, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (2013) Transport—energy consumption indicator. Available from http://ecib.emsd.gov.hk/en/indicator_trp.htm. Accessed 14 August 2014

  • Envac (2011) Envac kitchen waste vacuum system: profitable, hygienic and increased accessibility. Stockholm, Sweden

  • Envac (2014) Optical sorting plant. http://www.envacgroup.com/references/europe/envac-optibag-optical-sorting-plant-haraldrud-oslo. Accessed 10 June 2014

  • EPA, Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan (2014a) Collection of municipal solid waste by all organizations. Solid Waste Statistics. Taiwan

  • EPA, Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan (2014b) Properties of municipal solid waste, solid waste statistics. Taiwan

  • Francis A and Bell H (2008) The impact of transport: sustainable transport report. BioRegional Consulting Ltd., Surrey, UK

  • Gallert C, Henning A, Winter J (2003) Scale-up of anaerobic digestion of the biowaste fraction from domestic wastes. Water Res 37:1433–1441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hafeez MH (2013) Comparison of solid waste management between Oslo (Norway) and Lahore (Pakistan). Department of international environment and development studies. Master thesis, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

  • HKEB, Hong Kong Environment Bureau (2013) Hong Kong blueprint for sustainable use of resources 2013–2022. Hong Kong

  • HKEPD, Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (2013) Waste. http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/waste_maincontent.html. Accessed 23 June 2014

  • HKEPD, Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (2014a) Waste. http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/waste_maincontent.html. Accessed 25 Janurary 2015

  • HKEPD, Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (2014b) Monitoring of solid waste in Hong Kong. Waste Statistic for 2012. Hong Kong

  • Iacovidou E, Ohandja D, Voulvoulis N (2012) Food waste co-digestion with sewage sludge—realising its potential in the UK. J Environ Manage 112:267–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SH, Han SK, Shin HS (2004) Feasibility of biohydrogen production by anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge. Int J Hydrogen Energ 29(15):1607–1616

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • LegCo, Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2013. Report of the Delegation of the Panel on Environmental Affairs on the Duty Visit to the Republic of Korea to Study its Experience on Waste Management. http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/sec/duty_v/yr12-16/ea20130401.htm. Accessed 5 January 2015

  • Lin CSK, Pfaltzgraff LA, Herrero-Davila L, Mubofu EB, Abderrahim S, Clark JH, Koutinas AA, Kopsahelis N, Stamatelatou K, Dickson F, Thankappan S, Mohamed Z, Brocklesbyc R, Luque R (2012) Food waste as a valuable resource for the production of chemicals, materials and fuels. Current situation and global perspective. Energy Environ Sci 6(2):426–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maroušek J (2014) Economically oriented process optimization in waste management. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21(12):7400–7402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maroušek J, Kondo Y, Ueno M, Kawamitsu Y (2013) Commercial-scale utilization of greenhouse residues. Biotechnol Appl Microbiol 60(2):253–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Maroušek J, Hašková S, Zeman R, Váchal J, Vaníčková R (2014a) Processing of residues from biogas plants for energy purposes. Clean Techn Environ Policy. doi:10.1007/s10098-014-0866-9

    Google Scholar 

  • Maroušek J, Zeman R, Vaníčková R, Váchal J, Hašková S (2014b) New concept of urban green management. Clean Techn Environ Policy 16(8):1835–1838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mingpao (2012) Food waste processing plant in Ecopark with daily capacity of 200 tpd (in Chinese). http://m.news.sina.com.hk/news/article/2763820/1/20120906. Accessed on 8 December 2014

  • Murphya JD, McKeoghb E, Kielyb G (2004) Technical/economic/environmental analysis of biogas utilization. Appl Energ 77(4):407–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murto M, Björnsson L, Mattiasson B. Impact of food industrial waste on anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and pig manure. J Environ Manage 70(2):101–107

  • OptiBag (2014) Financial: rational and cost-effective waste management. http://www.optibag.com/financial-and-costs/financial_and_costs. Accessed 10 September 2014

  • Papacz W (2011) Biogas as vechicle fuel. J KONES Powertrain Transport 18(1):403–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson T, Esteves S, Dinsdale R, Guwy A (2011) An evaluation of the policy and techno-economic factors affecting the potential for biogas upgrading for transport fuel use in the UK. Energy Policy 39:1806–1816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rydberg T, Belhaj M, Bolin L, Lindblad M, Sjödin Å, Wolf C (2010) Market conditions for biogas vehicles. IVL Swedish Environmental Research institute Ltd. Göteborg, Sweden

  • Sosnowski P, Klepacz-Smolka A, Kaczorek K, Ledakowicz S (2008) Kinetic investigations of methane co-fermentation of sewage sludge and organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. Bioresour Technol 99:5731–5737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swedish Gas Centre (2012) Basic Data On Biogas, 2nd edn. Malmö, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  • Tekniska verken (2012) Extract and free translation of the Annual Report 2012. Linköping, Sweden

  • USEPA, United States Environmental Protection Department (2013) Organics: anaerobic digestion co-digestion. http://www.epa.gov/region9/organics/ad/codigest.html. Accessed 6 September 2014

  • Viriya-empikul N, Krasae P, Nualpaeng W, Yoosuk B, Faungnawakij K (2012) Biodiesel production over Ca-based solid catalysts derived from industrial wastes. Fuel 92(1):239–244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Compliance with Ethical Standards

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Irene M. C. Lo & Kok Sin Woon

Authors
  1. Irene M. C. Lo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kok Sin Woon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irene M. C. Lo.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Bingcai Pan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lo, I.M.C., Woon, K.S. Food waste collection and recycling for value-added products: potential applications and challenges in Hong Kong. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 7081–7091 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4235-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4235-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation