Alderney Waste to Food Project

Working with Alderney Roots, The Georgian House and Jack's Café & Bistro we are trailing new ways to reduce the cost of waste management, and the need to import compost.

By setting up the Alderney Waste to Food project the AWT is seeking to establish new options for the way in which large scale organic waste production on Alderney might be managed in the future.  The central process is the integration of in-vessel composting technology into existing waste management.  We do this by working with key on island business partners and with the support of donors who can see the value of developing systems to both reduce carbon wastage and improve local sustainability.   

The end result of this project will be sustainable, high grade, compost which can support the production of locally grown vegetables, the data provided by this project will be valuable in assessing whether in-vessel composting at a larger scale would be viable on Alderney. 

Through this project, we're addressing three main challenges: 

1. Reduction of carbon and cost – the reduction of carbon produced through the management of food waste, including cooked foods, meat and dairy, which is currently exported for incineration, and in so doing reducing the cost of handling compostable waste and of importing compost. 

2. Invasive plants – the provision of a safe mechanism for the destruction/use of green waste created by the removal of invasive vegetation, primarily Sour Fig.   

3. Providing low carbon compost - the production of viable commercial compost on island, using materials originating from on island, or through the food waste stream, and therefore reducing the importation of compost, including peat-based material.

Alderney Waste to Food is a phased project: 

1. Phase 1 establishing viability - Year 1

2. Phase 2 seeking to support the States of Alderney, with the help of a larger number of business partners to enable the purchase of larger scale equipment so that the trial can be developed to start taking in waste directly from the State of Alderney non-recyclable waste and green waste streams and trial the production of commercially viable compost - Year 2

3. Phase 3 expansion of the project to an island scale including domestic food waste  - Year 3 onwards

Making the Alderney Waste to Food Project possible 

This is a trail project which has is being run in collaboration with Alderney Roots one of Alderney's premier growers who will not only be managing the Alderney Waste to Food project on a daily basis, but will also be putting the compost to use as part of their growing process.  Alderney Waste to Food has been made possible through the support of Fort, as well as thanks to the help of the Georgian House and Jacks Café & Bistro. 

If you would like to find out more about the Alderney Waste to Food Project please do get in touch via admin@alderneywildlife.org,