Despite the call for the Green Party to be included in the General Election leaders’ debates, it’s disappointing to see that waste management and recycling appears to be dropping off the political agenda. Pending a review into resource security, the Labour Party has retracted its commitment to ban food waste from landfill if it wins the general election in May.
Just three months ago, I acknowledged the promising steps the industry has taken towards zero food waste to landfill and the need to win the hearts and minds of our leaders in business and policy makers at Westminster to make this a reality. Is there a danger, as the General Election race begins to heat up, the waste and recycling sector will be ignored for bigger ‘political footballs’?
The seriousness of the waste debate should not be overlooked and I believe it’s imperative that we, as a sector, do not see this as a step backwards but instead a call to arms. In the UK, almost 15 million tonnes of food waste is generated each year and around 40% of that is still disposed of via landfill. As we know, this has devastating and avoidable environmental consequences. In terms of safeguarding our future, it could be argued that political decisions regarding sustainable waste management hold just as much prominence as financial and economic reform.
Influence
Achieving zero food waste to landfill will rely on the support of those in government with the power to influence legislation and policy. The ambitious targets set out by Scotland in its Zero Food Waste Plan has set a positive benchmark for the rest of the UK and is a leading example of just what can be achieved with the support of business leaders and policy makers. In four months, Britain will elect its next government and we have a responsibility, regardless of our political views, to ensure that in this time of austerity our industry’s case is high on the agenda of all the political parties.
On that note, it is therefore concerning that broadcast regulator Ofcom has claimed the Green Party has not demonstrated significant electoral support in past general elections to be included in the TV election leaders’ debates. These debates will be instrumental in publicly voicing our case for a sustainable future. Naturally, the Green Party have environmental issues high on their agenda. It remains to be seen whether waste management will be as highly regarded by the UK’s other political parties in their manifestos and by the mainstream media.
What is clear, however, is that a collaborative approach across all sectors will be crucial in driving our case forward in parliament, inspiring UK businesses to take action in the war on waste and incentivising segregated food waste collection by making it a widely available and commercially viable option for all.
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