Last year the government announced new recycling legislation called Simpler Recycling.
As a result, all UK businesses will have to have a dedicated food waste collection from 31 March next year. Microbusinesses will have until two years later to implement the changes.
In addition, Stop Food Waste Day took place this week so we thought now would be a good opportunity to remind businesses about the coming shift regarding the approach to food waste management. 
It’s a staggering fact that 33% of all food produced ends up being wasted.
With the methane emitted and, given that food waste contributes 7% of the world’s carbon footprint, we’d encourage all businesses to consider the benefits of taking a rigorous approach.
Aside from the environmental impact, a method of mixing food and general waste is also inefficient – it suggests that kitchens aren’t monitoring the amount of wastage and may be over-ordering.
It would also imply a lack of forward planning as chefs cannot see which dishes are less popular with diners.
So by not regulating what is thrown away, businesses are missing out on essential business information and detail that can make a real difference to their bottom line and help them plan future menus with less wastage.
The solution
We have long advocated the ‘3D’ system – discount, distribute and dispose.
We believe that any food near, on, or at its ‘use by’ date should be first discounted and then distributed to organisations that can make best use of it.
Ideally, the only food that should then be disposed of is either returned meals in the hospitality trade, out-of-date food (presumably down to inefficient stock control or poor purchasing), or food that has been spoiled, for example during the cooking process or in case of a freezer or fridge breakdown.
If creating food waste is unavoidable, then from next March businesses will need to arrange a dedicated food waste collection system which will provide many benefits to any hotel, restaurant, pub, hospitality or catering establishment.
These benefits include financial savings, improved monitoring of food waste, better stock control, more flexible menus, diversion of food waste from landfill, enhanced environmental credentials and the creation of green energy and fertiliser.
The first step to a more efficient future could be a comprehensive audit by your waste management partner, to identify opportunities for streamlining operations and minimising on-site food waste.
For restaurants, specialised software can be used to pinpoint commonly waste food items, enabling informed decisions to optimise portion sizes and reduce waste.
Creating the right culture
Of course, chefs and all the kitchen team will have a role to play in ensuring unwanted food is properly dealt with, but this is a culture which needs to led from the top of the organisation.
Unless senior staff take responsibility for managing waste then it doesn’t filter down to the employees.
For many businesses, legislation used to enforce this approach from next year, so we would suggest it makes sense to start thinking about it now.
To find out how your business can improve its food recycling performance, book your free waste audit with us. Contact sales.bristol@grundon.com or call 01179 826 590.
