You may have read recently in the news that Tesco, one of the leading supermarkets in the country, are now giving away unsold food to homeless charities, with other big supermarket chains planning to follow in their footsteps. This is a first for the UK, although the plan has already been adopted in France and Italy.
In the past, there has been concern with food that has gone to waste, and how it should be disposed of. With food waste disposal being a hot topic right now, we are here to provide some insight.
If food is simply left to go to waste, it will generally end up in a landfill site where it will be left to rot, which causes the release of methane gas. This is harmful to the environment, and think about the word “waste”; it is wasted by going down this path, as well as having a negative impact on our surroundings. Fortunately, there are other, more advisable and healthy ways to handle usused food.
Of course, the best thing to do with unsold or unused food, if it is not being provided to homeless charities, would be to recycle it. According to Recycle Now, the majority of city councils within the United Kingdom collect food waste that is recycled in a number of ways, with the most common methods being in-vessel composting and anaerobic digestion.
There are other uses for food beyond its best-before date. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) carry out extensive research with market and behavioural studies ensuring that action is taken to tackle carbon, water and waste problems within our climate. Wrap also work with many well-established companies and brands, including Sainsbury’s, Boots and Nestle.
As stated earlier, other countries have also taken measures to handle the issue of food waste disposal; in France, a law was passed in 2015 banning supermarkets from outright destroying any unsold food. This came after the news that 89 million tonnes of food are wasted every year within the EU. In Italy, a law was passed in 2016 which would provide doggy bags within restaurants, cafes and supermarkets to increase the amount of food being passed onto homeless people and those who may need it, with incentives in place should certain targets be reached.
There are many options, and we at North West Waste Consultants provide several waste management services ourselves. These include Bespoke Waste Packages, Commercial Food Waste Disposal, Finished Goods Destruction, Hazardous Waste Disposal and Warehouse & Property Clearance. Of course, the various options will depend on your own circumstances and those of your business, since some of these are aimed at larger organisations which produce waste on a larger scale and on a more regular basis.
Whatever path you decide to go down, it is clear that the issue of food waste disposal is not going away, as the number of measures and initiatives to tackle the subject are on the rise. There are many options, and as stated, North West Waste Consultants have several services in place which can help you and your business tackle your own specific food waste disposal issues.
For further information, you can visit www.northwestwaste.co.uk.
Image source: https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/food-recycling
You may have read recently in the news that Tesco, one of the leading supermarkets in the country, are now giving away unsold food to homeless charities, with other big supermarket chains planning to follow in their footsteps. This is a first for the UK, although the plan has already been adopted in France and Italy.
In the past, there has been concern with food that has gone to waste, and how it should be disposed of. With food waste disposal being a hot topic right now, we are here to provide some insight.
If food is simply left to go to waste, it will generally end up in a landfill site where it will be left to rot, which causes the release of methane gas. This is harmful to the environment, and think about the word “waste”; it is wasted by going down this path, as well as having a negative impact on our surroundings. Fortunately, there are other, more advisable and healthy ways to handle usused food.
Of course, the best thing to do with unsold or unused food, if it is not being provided to homeless charities, would be to recycle it. According to Recycle Now, the majority of city councils within the United Kingdom collect food waste that is recycled in a number of ways, with the most common methods being in-vessel composting and anaerobic digestion.
There are other uses for food beyond its best-before date. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) carry out extensive research with market and behavioural studies ensuring that action is taken to tackle carbon, water and waste problems within our climate. Wrap also work with many well-established companies and brands, including Sainsbury’s, Boots and Nestle.
As stated earlier, other countries have also taken measures to handle the issue of food waste disposal; in France, a law was passed in 2015 banning supermarkets from outright destroying any unsold food. This came after the news that 89 million tonnes of food are wasted every year within the EU. In Italy, a law was passed in 2016 which would provide doggy bags within restaurants, cafes and supermarkets to increase the amount of food being passed onto homeless people and those who may need it, with incentives in place should certain targets be reached.
There are many options, and we at North West Waste Consultants provide several waste management services ourselves. These include Bespoke Waste Packages, Commercial Food Waste Disposal, Finished Goods Destruction, Hazardous Waste Disposal and Warehouse & Property Clearance. Of course, the various options will depend on your own circumstances and those of your business, since some of these are aimed at larger organisations which produce waste on a larger scale and on a more regular basis.
Whatever path you decide to go down, it is clear that the issue of food waste disposal is not going away, as the number of measures and initiatives to tackle the subject are on the rise. There are many options, and as stated, North West Waste Consultants have several services in place which can help you and your business tackle your own specific food waste disposal issues.
For further information, you can visit www.northwestwaste.co.uk.
Image source: https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/food-recycling
