Food Waste Action Week

Stadia Utilities  

This week it is Food Waste Action Week, an annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the impact of food waste and encouraging organisations and individuals across the UK to come together and act. This year’s mission is to encourage people to buy loose fruits and vegetables, allowing them to purchase only what they need and minimise unnecessary waste.

Hearing from one of our members, Stadia Utilities, a nationwide utility and waste management specialist with some tips and tricks on how you can reduce your food waste.

Can you tell us a bit more about Stadia Utilities?

With 15 years in the industry and over 100 years’ combined experience - Stadia Utilities can help your business manage a variety of utilities, from water, waste and energy. Stadia’s services can help your business to optimise consumption usage and reduce costs.

Our team work with multiple providers to ensure the smooth collection and processing of waste management for your business. As part of the service at Stadia, we will complete an initial site audit and analysis of your current requirements and provide a free, no obligation solution management strategy report. Stadia’s expertise in managing waste allows us to provide tailored recommendations for optimising waste streams and minimising disposal costs.

How are Stadia utilities getting involved with food waste action week this year?

At Stadia Utilities, we’re committed to minimising our own environmental footprint. During food waste action week, we are reinforcing our internal waste reduction strategies, encouraging our employees to minimise food waste and recycle any food packaging where possible. We are also sharing our tips and best practices, aiding businesses to minimise food waste.

Even if your business doesn’t handle a lot of food waste, this legislation may still apply. By taking control of your waste management, this helps to improve waste regulation, disposal costs and sustainability, contributing to a greener environment.

What can your business do to reduce food waste?

• Educate and engage: encourage sustainability within your organisation to raise awareness of compliant waste practices.

• Improved food management and storage: Implement effective food rotation and storage practices to minimise waste, such as clearing out office fridges.

• Plan ahead: For business with an onsite food premises, such as a canteen, optimise menu planning and portion sizes to reduce food preparation waste and plate waste.

Can you tell us a bit more about the new food regulations for businesses?

In 2021, the UK generated approximately 10.7 million tonnes of food waste. To address this critical issue and to support the UK government’s sustainability plan, new Simpler Recycling Legislation will be introduced on March 31st. This legislation mandates that businesses and other non-household premises separate food, general and recyclable waste from other streams, resulting in businesses needing to review their current waste practices.

This new law applies to all businesses except micro-businesses (those with fewer than 10 full-time employees). Premises include hospitals, schools, prisons, and office buildings.

The legislation will focus on:

• Separate Collection: All applicable premises must arrange for separate collection of the core recyclable waste streams, including food waste, glass, metal, plastic and card.

• Segregation and Storage: Food waste must be segregated from other waste types and stored in designated containers or bins.

• Future recycling: From March 31st 2027, businesses must also separate plastic film packaging and plastic bags for recycling.

It’s crucial for businesses to understand these new requirements and their potential impact. This may involve staff training to ensure proper food waste handling and segregation. Food waste types can include items such as raw and cooked food scraps, fruit and veg peelings, meat and fish bones and dairy products. Conducting an audit of current waste management processes will help identify areas for improvement before the legislation takes effect.

Contact Stadia Utilities here to find out more.