Food scraps and their disposal are one of the biggest global challenges today. According to available data, around 1/3 of food produced in the world ends up in waste. Just in Croatia, about 400,000 tons of food end up in waste every year. Food waste and inadequate environmental management of food waste are an economical, social and environmental problem.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the annual cost of food waste disposal worldwide is around $935 billion a year. Unfortunately, official data is still not yet available for Croatia, but according to some estimates, for example a larger restaurant in Zagreb spends around HRK 5,000 per month on the legal disposal of food waste.
The Republic of Croatia must tackle this issue and together with other EU members, commit itself to achieving the goal of the EU and the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Specifically, this is goal 12.3. explained as: “Responsible production and consumption with the specific aim of reducing food waste per capita, by half at the level of retail and consumers and reducing food losses along the entire production and supply chain.”
CURRENT FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL PRACTICES IN CROATIA
Although today the largest amounts of food scraps are being generated in households, business companies in Croatia also produce significant amounts of food scraps. Restaurants in the European Union thus produce 14% of food waste per year, which is about 56,000 tons, according to a study by the European Commission.
But what about hospitals, kindergartens, hotels, student housing centers and all other facilities that produce larger amounts of food every day?
In Croatia, there are several legal options for disposing food scraps, such as professional composting machines or biogas plants.
But the worrying fact is that there is also a large number of illegal food waste disposal practices. Very often, food scraps are given to pigs and other domestic animals as food, which is an illegal and harmful practice. Or it is taken illegally to municipal landfills. According to our internal estimates, the share of such companies that circumvent the law is extremely large in Croatia.
In the past few years, there has been a growing public interest in the problem of food waste and the rising need to stop illegal practices taking place. Thus, a greater reaction of the legislative bodies is expected in the form of greater controls on the ground.
GRIFFON DEVICES CAN SAVE UP TO 80%
Griffon food waste digester devices are the cheapest legal solution for food scraps/waste on the current domestic market. In addition, as a green technology they make great contributions to the fight against climate change and environmental protection.
Business savings are large, leading to up to 80% when compared to existing costs.
This is because Griffon devices solve the problem of food waste on site – right in the professional kitchen where food scraps are being made! The Griffon device is the size of a professional dishwasher and can be easily installed in the kitchen of for example – a restaurant, hospital, school, canteen or any business producing larger amounts of food scraps a day. Learn more about Griffon technology here.
Also, by managing food scraps with the Griffon machines we eliminate the need for transport or trucks transporting waste. That’s how we contribute to the reducing amounts of harmful carbon dioxide emissions. By using Griffon devices, we are also one step closer to closing landfills that emit methane, a powerful and very harmful greenhouse gas.
Become a part of the green food waste revolution. Join us!