Sustainable food production is not just about circular production models

Bengt Fellbe, Program Leader, SSEC, Swedish Surplus Energy Collaboration, explains how sustainable food production is not just about circular production models, there are more important links in the food system

Within SSEC, we work from farm to fork to farm.

It may be wise to start with the youngest, leaving the school meal as a model. Also, do not forget how your sustainably produced food is packaged and how leftovers can be taken care of and transported.

Hofors, a member of SSEC, is one of four municipalities to participate in projects on sustainable school meals.

One way to achieve global sustainability goals is to change the entire food system so that we can produce, buy and eat food that benefits both health and the environment.

Livsmedelsverket and Vinnova coordinate and finance the project “A new recipe for school meals” and Hofors municipality is one of four municipalities in Sweden selected to participate in a unique project to create the sustainable school meal system of the future. 25 municipalities applied to participate in the project “A new recipe for school meals” and Hofors together with Karlstad, Munkedal and Vallentuna were selected as development environments.

To achieve the global sustainability goals Agenda 2030, you need to produce, buy and eat food that benefits both health and the environment. The project will explore what such a sustainable system can look like – socially, environmentally and financially. The idea is that school meals can form a model for how the entire food system can be adjusted.

• This Vinnova project is completely in line with Hofors municipality’s goals of sustainable development, greenhouse investment and cycle work. I look forward to this project for our young citizens and for sustainable school meals in our municipality and in the long run throughout Sweden, says Linda-Marie Anttila, chairman of the municipal board in Hofors municipality.
• It will be very exciting to follow the four development environments, they will be spearheads for sustainable school meals and our hope is that all municipalities in Sweden will be able to benefit from their experiences, says the National Food Administration’s project coordinator Ulrika Backlund.

Sustainable packaging technology and composting of residual products

Reduces the volume of organic waste up to 90% in 24 hours

A fully automated system with heat and microorganisms breaks down food residues, packaging material and other compostable organic waste into usable compost soil. Thanks to the active process of controlled heat and microorganisms, the process takes no more than 24 hours. The advantage of composting, compared to eg biogas production, is that you can reduce your transports significantly. You compost your residual products in a safe and sustainable way on site.

Solserv, member of SSEC, offers complete solutions regardless of size and volume. We have semi- and fully automatic machines for the food industry, restaurant, commercial kitchen and catering for packing fruit & vegetables, meat, ready meals etc.

Our large composting systems for organic waste are adapted to our customers’ needs and are available for waste from 5 tonnes to 100 tonnes/day. The facility in Åstorp is a 5-ton facility. This plant is equipped with a grinder and squeezer to pre-treat the organic waste before it is fed into the composting machine.

The pre-treatment system helps to increase the efficiency of the composting machine, which then reduces the volume of organic waste up to 90% in 24 hours. We also have systems for handling packaged food where we can separate plastic and organic material.

The compost mass provides a powerful fertilizer that can be used for organic farming in agriculture and forestry, but also for private individuals who grow vegetables etc. We return the nutrients from the organic material to the soil and get a circular solution.

Composting machines for restaurants and commercial kitchens

Conscious restaurant owners and chefs take responsibility for the entire food chain, for example, Jamie Oliver. Paul Taylor Lanthandel has a machine that composts all food waste and where they then use the compost mass for their own crops, the products they use they sell in their own shop/restaurant. They work circularly and sustainably in their business.

Paul Svensson and Tareq Taylor have been running the business since 2019 and have had our composting solution since the start. Paul Svensson was one of the first in Stockholm with our solution at the famous restaurant Fotografiska.

Solserv has many years of experience in machines and service for creative packaging technology. Based in Åstorp municipality, we deliver complete solutions for machinery, training, maintenance and service for large and small customers in Sweden and in the international market.

https://www.vinnova.se/en/news/2021/02/four-municipalities-will-be-spearheads-for-the-sustainable-school-meals-of-the-future/?utm_campaign=unspecified&utm_content=unspecified&utm_medium=email&utm_source=apsis-anp-3

https://solserv.se/

 

Please note: This is a commercial profile