Composting food waste on the Isles of Scilly

Context

The Isles of Scilly does not currently recycle domestic food waste. Waste is transported to the mainland for incineration, incurring significant carbon emissions and financial costs. Food waste also represents lost nutrients that could support local food production; demand for fertilisers is high on Scilly, but the importation and carbon costs are significant. Food waste also presents a potential risk to public health and wellbeing, requiring residents to store mixed waste in large containers, sometimes in hard to access locations. Interest in recycling, food production and composting are high, yet only a few residents compost vegetable waste.

Aims and Objectives

The Isles of Scilly Community Venture (IOSCV), a not-for-profit company, are exploring whether the installation of a digester on the main island, St Mary’s, would be viable. With community support, they aim to replace waste export and compost import, and increase circularity within the island economy. IOSCV and their stakeholders have identified two challenges:

how to create high-quality composted soil improver from local, highly variable, food waste stocks; and
how to develop socially and financially sustainable waste collection and compost production and distribution arrangements.

The York team and IOSCV will work together on these issues, with the York team bringing disciplinary knowledge in compost processes and characterisation; novel sensors for in-situ compost evaluation; waste-to-resources supply chains; and co-design of context-specific institutional arrangements.

Project Outputs

The project facilitated valuable knowledge exchange between communities on the Isles of Scilly and academic partners, focusing on composting and circular resource use. Interviews were conducted with key local stakeholders, including representatives from government, landowners, and businesses in catering and agriculture, to inform discussions on circular waste management. George Goldberg from the Isles of Scilly Community Venture (IOSCV) visited York, bringing soil and compost samples for collaborative analysis and engaging in detailed discussions with academic experts. A mini-symposium was held, bringing together representatives from waste management, the Biorenewables Development Centre, and academics across disciplines such as Biology, Law, and Management, to foster cross-sector knowledge sharing. The team collaboratively developed research questions, action plans, and outlines for funding proposals targeting upcoming submission opportunities. Informal evening meetings supported relationship-building and ongoing exchange throughout the project.

None of these activities would have been possible without dedicated funding, and the outputs achieved would not have emerged otherwise. Funding for relationship development time was particularly valuable; the activities during the community leader’s visit built crucial understanding and trust, forming the foundation for effective collaboration moving forward.

During his visit to UoY, project partner George Goldberg gave a talk focussing on the effort to develop a viable and sustainable solution to the management of food waste on the islands. It also touched on the experience and learnings from previous attempts to address sustainability challenges on Scilly, including in the areas of renewable energy and electric mobility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ZZU80AIZc

Principal and Co-Investigators

Principal Investigator

Jonathan Ensor, Stockholm Environment Institute

Co-Investigators

Liz Rylott, Department of Biology

Melanie Kreye, School of Business and Society

Steven Johnson, School of Physics, Engineering and Technology

External Partner

George Goldberg, Isles of Scilly Community Venture