News

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), which matches companies with available resources, has put its backing behind a box for collecting food waste that can then be composted.

Georgina Bingham of NISP member Angelhart Inc in Doncaster designed the Grott Box as a way to collect up to 25 litres of food waste with minimum mess.

The cardboard box is made from a high-grade corrugated board, while the inside layer is a good quality virgin kraft, which is coated with a wax layer to make it waterproof.

The wax layer is water based and breaks down in the environment, so is acceptable to recyclers of the board if that is required.

"The hygroscopic properties of the papers in the Grott Box absorb moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, which captures the smell generated by the waste food inside the box," explained Bingham.

The pack can currently be composted in industrial composters, but it is also being trialled in a domestic composting bin. NISP expects the results in a couple of months.

The Grott Box has already been successfully trialled by three schools in Yorkshire and the Great Western Hotel in Doncaster will trial the box through December and January.

A NISP spokeswoman said that if the Doncaster trial proves successful "then we'll look at getting more hotels on board".

At least six waste management companies are currently considering using the Grott Box as part of their portfolio.