Food Waste (UK)

Northern Ireland

The Food Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 amend the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (as amended) to provide for the separate collection of food waste from 1st April 2016.

The duty is on food businesses producing in excess of 5kg of food waste per week to present food waste for separate collection. For the period 1st April 2016-31st March 2017, the threshold is 50kg of food waste per week. These businesses must not deposit food waste in a lateral drain or sewer (this duty applies from 1st April 2017).

Waste transporters must collect and transport food waste separately from other waste. This duty applies from 1st April 2015.

Subscribers to Cardinal Environment Tailored EHS Legislation Registers will have their systems updated nearer the time, and a formal Email Alert will be sent out.

Scotland

The above duties apply in Scotland. The relevant dates is 1st January 2016 for the threshold to drop from 50 kg per week to 5kg per week, and for the ban on disposal to drain.

Cardinal Environment Tailored EHS Legislation Registers are already updated, subscribers are reminded in 2015 Annual Reviews, and a reminder Email Alert will be sent out.

England and Wales

No food waste legislation is yet enacted. A Food Waste (Reduction) Bill is introduced as a 10-Minute Rule Motion and has all party support. This bill will have its second reading in January 2016. 

This bill obliges the Secretary of State to make provision for a scheme to establish incentives to implement and encourage observance of the food waste reduction hierarchy; to encourage individuals, businesses and public bodies to reduce the amount of food they waste; to require large supermarkets, manufacturers and distributors to reduce their food waste by no less than 30 per cent by 2025 and to enter into formal agreements with food redistribution organisations; to require large supermarkets and food manufacturers to disclose levels of food waste in their supply chain.

Information on bill progress is found here.

Republic of Ireland (ROI)

ROI has had food waste legislation in place for some time.

Cardinal Environment Tailored EHS Legislation Systems already include these rules.