Lee Dobinson, Chief Commercial Officer at BioteCH₄ discusses simpler recycling for all
As the deadline for the government’s food waste legislation fast approaches, the industry is preparing to bring mandatory food waste recycling to those businesses who employ over ten people. Typically, the anaerobic digestion industry works with a large proportion of the food manufacturing, processing, and distribution industries to offer support and advice on the best solutions for reducing food waste and the most sustainable, economically viable way of recycling their unavoidable food waste.
These changes won’t just affect the food industry but also the wider business community; care homes, schools and prisons will be required to separate and recycle their food waste on a much smaller scale. These businesses, while not typically customers directly of food waste operators, will in fact contribute to the increase in food waste bolstering the reception halls of anaerobic digestion facilities up and down the UK.
The aim of the Simpler Recycling Scheme is to simplify the way in which we recycle our waste and with the UK Government favoring anaerobic digestion to recycle food waste, it’s set to be a time of increased activity for the waste industry. There are a few approaches to the implementation of this new legislation, which your current food waste management company can support you with. The important thing is to start the process now.
Key points of consideration:
■ Simplify the way we recycle food waste
■ The deadline for businesses is 31st March 2025
■ The deadline for local authorities is 31st March 2026
■ Maximize recycling rates
■ Reduce business costs
Your current waste provider can help you to manage your waste streams and ensure compliance with the new regulations. The expertise available across the waste
industry is immense and the bespoke and innovative solutions these businesses can support you with are endless. Most food waste operators will have years of experience across a variety of industries working with and for food processing and manufacturing businesses and understand the intricacies of working in these fast-paced and time-sensitive businesses to be able to provide bespoke solutions tailored to your needs.
It’s not just regulatory and environmental benefits businesses can expect from these changes, but also some financial benefits. The correct separation and segregation of appropriate waste streams means some financial benefits can be attributed to this change too.
What do I need to do?
■ Understand what is required of you by this new legislation
■ Separate your food waste for collection
■ Organize the collection through your current waste provider
■ Understand what level of waste you currently produce; it’s worth trialing this ahead of the implementation
■ Communicate with staff and customers – make sure staff are well informed of the changes
Benefits for business:
■ Potential to lower business costs
■ Contribute to the generation of renewable energy
■ Divert food waste from landfills where it has a damaging impact on the environment
Benefits for the environment:
■ Reduce harmful emissions
■ Create a more circular economy
Anaerobic digestion – the sustainable option
Anaerobic digestion provides an effective way to tackle food waste by diverting it from landfills and capturing the gases released during decomposition. This gas, known as biogas, can be converted into electricity, or injected into the national grid as a renewable energy source.
Anaerobic digestion not only helps reduce food waste and our carbon footprint but also moves us closer to net-zero emissions while lessening dependence on imported fossil fuels.
The benefits extend beyond biogas. The by-product, called digestate, is a nutrient-rich biofertilizer that supports crop growth. It reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, which are costly and environmentally harmful, offering a sustainable solution for both energy and agriculture.
For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.
Lee Dobinson
BioteCH₄ is the leading anaerobic digestion operator in the UK. The company takes care of food waste, sustainably. It is proud to provide a cost-effective solution for local authorities and the commercial sector, understanding and delivering on all food waste recycling requirements.