Council proposals for a new street trader licensing policy, originally put forward in June 2014 (see letsrecycle.com story), stipulated that all packaging and utensils should be biodegradable and recyclable.
The policy – which would have been a first for the UK – would have effectively seen polystyrene burger and chip tray packaging banned from use by street food vendors in the city centre.
However, following a meeting of the licensing committee last week (January 27), councillors accepted that most commonly-used take-away packaging and utensils can feasibly be recycled – including polystyrene foam insulation trays and boxes – depending on the individual street trader’s waste management arrangements.
The new policy includes no specifications for the types of packaging being banned outright from use, and street traders will be able to choose the most suitable packaging and waste management arrangements for their vans or trailers.
Despite this, the council said the policy would still highlight the importance of recyclability and to encourage street traders to improve their waste management practices through its licensing policy.
The licensing policy applies only to street traders and the waste or recycling bins they provide. It does not apply to bricks and mortar premises or to council street bins and containers.
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A spokesman for Oxford city council said: “The council’s General Purposes Licensing Committee approved a proposed condition for food traders which requires all packaging and utensils for use by customers to be made of biodegradable or recyclable materials. The condition is intended to reduce the amount of commercial waste that goes to landfill. The proposals will be taken to a full council meeting on April 13 2015, which will either approve or reject them.”
Packaging industry
The Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) had argued that banning this material would make no difference to litter levels as the EPS packaging would simply be replaced by another material. In addition, the FPA suggested that banning particular packaging at local authority level could contravene EU law.
But, although the council’s own waste contractors, Oxford Direct Services, do not currently have provision for recycling EPS, the council’s licensing committee accepted that there are other firms capable of recycling EPS available to street vendors.
As such, the council’s licensing committee opted to leave it up to vendors to decide whether their packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable – but the packaging will not have to be both.
Trade group the FPA welcomed the committee’s recommendation, particularly its decision to change the phrasing of the rule from ‘biodegradable and recyclable’ to ‘biodegradable or recyclable’.
And, after presenting its case to the licensing committee last week (January 27), the FPA also offered to work with the city council on the issue of littering and the possibility of additional labelling on take-away food packaging.
Executive director of the FPA, Martin Kersh, said: “The Oxford city council licensing committee were kind enough to grant us the opportunity to address them. This has helped encourage the council not to single out EPS food packaging in the by-law as the local press would have us all believe.
“However we need to encourage waste collectors, including Oxford Direct Services, to introduce EPS collections with a view to recycling and work with food vendors to ensure that they make the correct arrangements for the packaging they are using. It’s important vendors know that EPS is not banned by Oxford city council – but they do face responsibility in ensuring their waste is properly disposed of as they do with every type of packaging they handle.”
He added: “We are talking to the National Caterers Association, which represents mobile and outside caterers, to provide advice on collection and labelling/signage. The real goal is to reduce litter and we have expressed our desire to work with the council help this beautiful city achieve this.”
Related Links:
–Oxford city council
–Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA)
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