Ray Georgeson, chair of the steering group behind the Food Waste Recycling Action Plan (FWRAP), made his comments at the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association’s conference.
Presented as a five-point plan, FWRAP ‘highlights the current barriers to food waste recycling and practical solutions to overcome them as cost effectively as possible’.
Developed by an industry steering group, including local authorities, waste treatment operators, private sector waste collectors and industry bodies, the plan aims to increase the amount of food recycled by promoting greater collaboration across the supply chain.
Industry
Speaking at the ADBA event, Mr Georgeson, who is also chief executive of the Resource Association, said: “As we hand the plan over to the industry collectively, the onus will be on the several lead bodies, the supporting bodies, to really take this work forward.”
Noting that 10 million tonnes of food waste is thrown out every year and that food waste costs the UK hospitality and food service sector £3 billion a year, he continued: “In the context of the arguments we’ve been having, for example the UK’s contributions to the EU, this is absurd.”
Mr Georgeson went on to suggest that of the 4.6 million tonnes of food waste collected each year by local authorities, presently only 12% is recycled.
“It is an understatement to say that food waste recycling needs to up its game,” he added. “Not just the local authorities. Every part of the food recycling chain needs to play its role, the producers, the collectors and the reprocessors. It has to be a whole chain solution.
“Hopefully, with all stakeholders fully engaged, we have a systematic and transparent, and indeed democratic, approach to collectively trying to meet this huge challenge that we face.”
WRAP
Linda Crichton, head of resource management at WRAP, told the conference that WRAP recognised more effort is required on food waste and stressed that support is needed for existing as well as new services and collections.
Mrs Crichton said WRAP will make sure that progress on the action is followed up, anticipating a review every six months with a report on progress every 12 months.
Speaking about the benefits of effective communication to households as well as other measures, such as providing liners to boost recycling rates, Mrs Crichton noted that “clearly there is a cost attached to that.” A cost, she said, that needs to be met by the financial benefits of increased food waste collection. “We’ve got to think about incentives, we’ve got to think about setting up contracts that benefit both parties.”
She went on to highlight the Cost Benefits Analysis Tool, which will be made available in autumn as a way of navigating this challenge.
Defra
In a statement commenting on the launch of the report, Defra Recycling Minister Rory Stewart, added that “more could be done” to tackle food waste in the UK.
He said: “I welcome the Action Plan, showing how by working together, industry, government, businesses and local authorities can drive up the amount of unavoidable, inedible food waste that is recycled, helping our environment and boosting our economy.”
REA
The Renewable Energy Association, which helped contribute to the Plan, hailed it as a “milestone”.
Jeremy Jacobs, technical director of the REA, commented: “The REA believes that although this plan will assist greatly in delivering increased collection of food waste, if we are to make the necessary step change, a mandate from central Government is required.
“Any action from Government would need to ensure that all local authorities are provided with adequate funding to roll out food waste collections so that like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, England too can make better use of this valuable resource.”
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