New Legislation Affecting Food Waste Disposal for Businesses
Introduction:
Big changes are happening in how we deal with food waste disposal in the UK. New changes to the Food Waste Legislation UK mean that soon, businesses will have to separate and recycle their food waste. In this blog, we’ll break down what these changes mean, when they’re happening, how much they might cost, and what could happen if you don’t follow the rules.
The Food Waste Legislation in the UK:
A Simple Look
This new law says that all businesses in England and Wales will have to follow new procedures when throwing away their food waste. It doesn’t matter what kind of business it is – if it makes food waste, it needs to do things differently.
The Environment Act 2021’s ‘separate collection of industrial or commercial waste’ clause. Aligning with Item 1.6 of the Government Food Strategy 2022: ‘Reducing waste in the food system.’ This states: “We are fully committed to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal to halve global food waste by 2030.”
What’s Changing?
The law wants businesses to put their food waste in special bins instead of regular ones. This is because they want to recycle the food waste instead of throwing it in the regular waste. The government is trying to do this to help combat food waste, and global warming.
New Rules and Steps:
Let’s take a closer look at what’s going to happen. The new law says that businesses can only use two ways to get rid of their food waste: composting or something called anaerobic digestion. They can’t throw it in the regular waste or burn it. And they definitely can’t use machines that chop up food and flush it down the drain or throw it in the sewer meaning that macerators will become outlawed.
Businesses will have to keep their food waste separate from regular waste. This is because the government wants to make sure they can recycle it better and generate less waste overall going to landfill.
Starting Up Might Cost Some Money:
When businesses start following these new rules, they might need to spend some money. They might have to get special bins, arrange for a different time to pick up the waste, find new suppliers, or ask their workers to spend more time on it. It might be a bit smoother however for businesses that already have ways of dealing with their waste.
Tips to Save Money and Waste Less:
If businesses want to save money and make less waste, there are some easy things they can do. They can buy less food if they see they’re throwing away the same things every week. They can also choose foods that last longer. If there’s always extra food left, they can make the portions smaller. And if they have parts of food left over, like potato skins, they can try to use them in new dishes to avoid throwing them away.
Conclusion:
In Wales, this legislation will start to take effect in April 2024. Other places like England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow soon after. We’re not sure exactly when in England, but businesses there should get ready for it. Scotland and Northern Ireland already have some rules like this in place. The new legislation is a big change, but eventually it will help us all waste less food and do better for the environment.
If you have any questions or need any advice relating to this article then please feel free to contact us to speak to a waste expert.
