Established in the eighth century, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Pub was purchased in 2012 by Christo Tafelli. While committed to preserving the pub’s history, Tafelli also endeavored to create the greenest and most cost-efficient pub in all of England. To accomplish these seemingly opposing goals, he oversaw a $1.3 million renovation that included the installation of a cardboard bailer, a glass crusher and an LFC-70 biodigester to lessen lorry collections, shrink landfill deposits, and reduce the pub’s carbon footprint.
“At Pub 18 trade show in London, I learned about different technologies to save space and go green, including the LFC® biodigester,” explained Tafelli. “The math made sense. In the first week, I eliminated three food waste collections. Multiplied by 52 weeks, I spent $33,730 last year on overall waste removal with about 20 percent for food waste. That’s about $6,487 a year I’ll save. The biodigester will pay for itself quickly.”
Manufactured by Power Knot LLC, the LFC-70 turns between 150 to 280 lbs. of food waste per day into drain-safe “grey” water – noiselessly, safely and odor-free. Tafelli also avoids storing of food waste and potentially attracting vermin or exposing customers to unsavory smells, particularly during warm weather.
At present, the United Kingdom has no commercial food waste regulation; efforts are voluntary. But “Food Waste in England,” a report produced for the House of Commons Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee (2016-2017), makes it clear that regulation is imminent. Also, two registered UK charities, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and IGD, a grocery industry association, have developed the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap initiative. It aims to have 50 percent of the UK’s largest food businesses measuring, reporting, and acting on food waste by September 2019, with full commercial compliance by 2026.
The biodigester decomposes food aerobically (with oxygen), producing only water, CO2, and heat to 108º F, further speeding decomposition. The CO2 generated is part of the natural cycle of carbon generation from plants, making the process carbon neutral. Food waste, which can be added to the continuous process at any time, is fully digested within 24 hours, and gravity-discharged into the drain as harmless grey water.
Published in the August 2019 Edition