Table of contents

1. Introduction and definitions
2.  Categories of kitchen waste
   1.  Biodegradable waste
   2. Non-biodegradable waste
3. Types of wastes
   1. Liquid waste
   2. Solid waste
   3. Hazardous waste
   4.  Organic waste
   5. Recyclable waste
4. Factors to consider in kitchen waste management
5. Importance of kitchen waste management
6. How to maintain and handle
   1. Kitchen waste recycling
   2. Kitchen waste re-use
7. Conclusion

Kitchen Waste Disposal / Kitchen Waste Management / Food Waste

Kitchen waste is one kind of solid waste which is produced from the kitchen during the time of

Preparing and processing of food that makes a large portion (50-60%) of the total solid waste.

In every kitchen, there is waste that must be recycled; waste that can be hazardous and waste that must be stored in a certain way.

Every employer has a legal duty to manage the waste that their business produces suitably and sufficiently. Kitchen waste management is simple to implement and could save your business time, money and resources, whilst also benefiting the environment from eco-friendly recycling.

Categories of Kitchen Waste

Kitchen waste can be categorized in to two; Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable

Biodegradable simply means substance or materials capable of being decomposed naturally by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoiding pollution.

2.1. Biodegradable wastes include;

• Vegetable and fruit waste of different types (fruit, vegetable, vegetable and fruit remains and peelings)
• Eggshells and coffee sediments
• Tea and coffee filter bags
• Tainted food
• Non-liquid cooked food waste, bones
• Stale bread and biscuits
• Tissues, paper towels and paper sacks

• Non-biodegradable kitchen waste
• Green garden waste (grass, leaves, branches, flowers, hedges),
• Oils and fats
• Liquid food waste
• Cigarette ends
• Napkins and sanitary towels
• Textiles/leather/ cork
• Ashes
• Slaughter waste, dead animals
• Pet excrement
• Hazardous waste
• Packaging wast

3. TYPES OF WASTE

1. Liquid Waste Refers to all grease, oil, sludges, wash water, waste detergents and dirty water that have been thrown away  found in industries as well as households and are harzadous and poisonous. Liquid waste can be removed by containment, treatment and disposal

2. Solid Rubbish– any garbage, sludge, and refuse found in industrial and commercial location. They include, Glass and Ceramics, Plastic waste,Paper rubbish, Metals and Tins

3. Organic Waste; refers to rotten meat, garden and food waste, vegetables and peals.

 4. Recyclable Rubbish; All discarded items like metals, furniture, organic waste that can be recycled fall under this category

5. Hazardous Waste; flammable, corrosive, toxic and reactive materials. This hazardous waste can be disposed through Recycling, Incineration and Destruction, Pyrolysis, Disposing in a landfill.

4. Efficient procedures/ways of managing kitchen waste.

• Separate waste- Segregate the dustbins for dry and wet waste.
• Maintain two bags for dry waste collection- paper, plastic, and other items that are recyclable, for the rest of the household waste.
• Keep plastic from the kitchen clean and dry and drop it into the dry waste bin.
• Keep glass /plastic containers rinsed of food matter
• Store and send dry waste out of the home, once a week.
• Use cloth bags instead of plastic.
• Donate items when possible.
• Dispose of biodegradable waste with the local garbage trucks or begin a composting pit in the garden
• Toxic waste if any must be isolated and disposed of in a responsible manner depending on the kind of toxic waste.
• Soiled waste must be sent to an incinerator.
• Keep a paper bag for throwing the sanitary waste.

5. Importance of Kitchen Waste Management

• A kitchen with proper waste segregation and waste management does not attract diseases and pests thus maximum kitchen cleanliness.
•  Segregation leads to a collection process that is more convenient and efficient for collecting companies.
• Proper segregation is required for the functioning of waste incineration.

6. How to maintain  

Food waste that is not recycled may be sent to landfill where it rots, causing a huge negative impact on the environment by releasing methane. There is a difference between kitchen waste recycle and waste re-use.

6.1 Kitchen waste recycle involves converting the waste into something else that is reusable such as;

1. Compost the Kitchen and Garden Scrap- Several cities have regular pickup vehicles that collect waste food, dried leaves, grass clippings, and organic yard waste to the recycling
2. Put Your Waste to Work- It’s where you offer your waste to a local farmer and maybe request them to pick up your waste or if you can bring it to their farm.
3. Donate Waste for Animal Feed- Several recycling firms are coming up with swift and innovative ways to recycle waste fruits, vegetables, and bakery scrap from grocery stores and households to produce nutritious animal feeds. These recycling firms offer planned food waste collecting services for communities and individual houses based on their requirements
4. Convert Food Scrap into Biogas- Researchers have found an innovative way to capture all the energy trapped in the organic food waste, leaving behind very little waste for landfills and oceans. In this process, the waste is incinerated to produce a crude liquid that can be converted into bio-fuel. 
5. Reuse the Food Packaging Material- The food packaging material, namely wrappers, cartons, and containers, can be sent to recycling firms in order to produce useful paper products
6. Creative Use of Leftovers- make use of leftovers such as refrigerating mashed potatoes can be used in bread, to make potato pancakes,

Kitchen Waste Re-Use

• Kitchen waste re-use is using the waste again or more than once in the following ways;
• Use your banana peels to polish the leaves of plants at home or rub them on your leather shoes to make them as good as new
• People have been using ground orange peels for their skincare regimen or chew on an orange peel or two to alleviate bad breath or throw a few peels into your garbage disposer to de-stink it.
• Mesh bags can be used for gift wrapping.
• Broccoli stalks are a great option to reuse kitchen waste as have tons of nutritional value and you could make a nutrient-rich raw snack or soup out of it, among a host of other dishes.
• Instead of throwing away the onion skin, reuse this kitchen waste to make delicious homemade soup stock, since the skin holds more nutritional value.
• Chop off bread and refrigerate it in a container then grind it to make breadcrumbs when needed.
• Just save the top of your pineapple and plant it in your garden to grow your own pineapples instead of throwing them.
• Potato peels can be applied directly on sore eyes, burns, boils, and infections. Potato peels inhibit bacteria from infecting the wound further. You can also rub potato peels on your sunburns for relief.
• Watermelon rinds act as an excellent anti-acne mechanism
• Butter wrappers can be used to grease baking trays instead of trashing them.
• Egg shells can be used as a natural fertilizer since they add calcium and aerate the soil. They are a great source of compost especially in vermicompost since they help worms in reproduction.
• Apple peel can actually help in reducing dark circles and also effective against stains on aluminum utensils.

Kitchen Waste Compost

Kitchen waste composting is the act of using your kitchen waste and food scraps, which are organic materials (greens and browns), to create compost beneficial for soil and for growing home plants and crops.

How to turn household/ Kitchen waste into compost

Identify Your Composting Spot- Composting can be done either at from your kitchen, balcony, terrace or roof, tabletop or sink. While the best place to start composting is outdoors, you can even start the process of composting inside your home.

Segregate your Waste: Start separating your edible kitchen waste like vegetable peels, fruit peels, small amounts of wasted cooked food, etc. in one container. Fill another container with dry waste like dried leaves, sawdust, newspaper chunks, packaging material etc. Close both containers to avoid infiltration of bugs, flies, and worms.

Construct Your Composting Bin: Select a container – it can be anything, from a bucket to a normal dustbin or a garden pot. Drill around 4-5 holes around the container at different levels so as to let some air in easily. To avoid any spills place a newspaper or tray underneath your container. Layer the bottom of the container with soil.

Initiate the Composting Process: To maintain the dry waste and wet waste balance, add food waste and wet waste at alternate levels in the bin. For example if you add one cup of food wastes like vegetables or fruits, add one cup of dry wastes like dry leaves, sawdust, newspaper scrap too. Do not forget to add soil once every week. To fasten the process, you can add semi composted soil to your compost.

Dos and Don’ts: Increase the components of newspapers or add extra holes when your compost smells due to imbalance of waste in the bin. Sprinkle some waster if the compost turns too dry. After every few days, use a rake to give the pile of waste a quick turn and for enough aeration. Start using your compost once it gets ready within a period of 2-3 months in garden areas or potted plants once the dry, dark brown waste-turned-compost is ready.

Items you can add to your kitchen waste compost:

• Dried leaves
• Herbs and spices
• Fruit peelings (e.g., banana, apples, oranges, etc.)
• Grass and brush trimmings
• Bread, cereal, wheat crumbs
• Coffee grounds 
• Teabags or tea leaves
• House dust
• Old and stale animal food (e.g., cat or dog food)
• Shredded paper or cardboard
• Hay, straw, or pet bedding
• Organic manure (e.g., cow manure)
• Toilet rolls or egg cartons (with no oil)
• Pinecones
• Nutshells

Items NOT to add to your kitchen waste compost.

• All kinds of fresh meat
• Animal products (e.g., fat, skin, gristle, bones, etc.)
• Dairy products (e.g., Milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.)
• All types of cooking oil
• All kinds of oily products (e.g., grease from food)
• Tissue papers or any other paper products that have oil
• Twigs or branches
• Animal feces (e.g., dog, cat, etc.)
• Fish products (and skin)

IMPORTANCE OF COMPOSTING KITCHEN WASTE

Composting kitchen waste will help you reduce food waste and turn your kitchen scraps back into a valuable resource, in the following ways;

1. Get rid of your house waste- Making compost from kitchen waste means you’ll have lesser garbage than ever

2. Discover more food waste solutions- Kitchen waste composting resolves household waste issues, so you won’t have to feel bad the next time you feel like your food will just end up getting spoiled but rather be of use again. 

3. Lessen gardening costs- Home gardeners usually spend money to invest in healthy soil and fertilizers, therefore use of compost reduces cost of buying fertilizers.

4. Practice an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle- Kitchen waste composting can help you become more sustainable, patient, and even detail-oriented in nitpicking ingredients, etc. It also helps lower your carbon footprint.

5. Farm to Table Solutions- The farm to table practice is where you get to plant your own crops and harvest them directly from your backyard or garden so that it can be used in your daily food. This is a phenomenal way to reduce carbon emissions from buying food outside and reduce trips to the groceries.

• Conclusion

Biogas can be produced by placing wet organic waste, such as food waste, in a sealed chamber with no air inside. As it digests, the kitchen waste will release a gas which can be captured and used for cooking and lighting as well.

A basic home biogas unit costs between Ksh. 50,000 ($500) and Ksh. 80,000 –Bio-digester can have a lifespan of at least 20 years when the appropriate maintenance and care is provided.