The Food Waste Network has been set up to try and help businesses recycle their food waste by linking them with collection services. The service will be open to all businesses but will focus on small and medium sized companies who might not be aware of more sustainable solutions than sending food to landfill.
Food waste is still a large problem in the UK. The firm Tidy Planet estimates that a meal at your work canteen comes with 1.5kg of waste and at a restaurant that rises to 2.5kg per meal. With the rate of landfill tax rising, many people will be looking for cheaper alternatives.
The Food Waste Network was born out of the Composting Network set up by Vegware, an ecofriendly food packaging company. Vegware already produce compostable and recyclable food containers but wanted to help their customers find a way to reduce the food waste itself, with the ultimate aim to get businesses dedicated to the task of 100 per cent recycling. They set up the service originally for customers, but now offer the free service to everyone.
The website for the service is going to be launched in the summer but the network already has nearly a hundred partners across the country, from national collectors to small community projects. "Landfill is the most expensive and environmentally harmful destination for UK waste, and all businesses can save money by maximising recycling. The first key step to going zero waste is introducing food waste recycling,” said Lucy Frankel of Vegware.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.