The UK Government has published statutory guidance for manufacturers, retailers, and other organisations responsible for disposing of surplus or waste food and drink.
The guidance states that businesses should prioritise preventing waste in the first place, to minimise the environmental impact of food and drink waste and maximise the value of food and drink surplus.
The following hierarchy should be followed:
- Prevent surplus and waste in your business.
- Redistribute surplus food and drink.
- Make animal feed from former food.
- Process surplus food to make biomaterials.
- Recycle – anaerobic digestion and composting.
- Recover waste by landspreading.
- Recover energy from waste.
Dispose – send to sewer and landfill
Only when the first option is not suitable should consideration be given to the next.
Options 1-4 provide guidance to PREVENT waste. Options 5-8 are required by law and relate to the PROCESSING of waste, as set out in regulation 12 of the Waste Regulations 2011 (England and Wales):
Visit Gov.UK to read the ‘Food and drink waste hierarchy: deal with surplus and waste’ guidance.
