Local authorities collect around 4.6 million tonnes of household food waste per annum[1]. Of this, only 600,000 tonnes are collected for recycling, the rest is collected in the residual waste stream. Of those local authorities that do provide a collection service, around one third are collecting less than 1.0 kg per household per week, considered by WRAP to be low performance.
Over the last few years, WRAP has carried out a number of pilot schemes to test a range of intervention measures to help overcome some of the barriers to householder participation in food waste recycling. These barriers can be attributed to a number of factors, such as having to pay for liners, lack of scheme information, missing caddies and the ’yuck’ factor that some households associate with food waste collections. Evidence from WRAP’s pilot schemes has shown that by delivering a specific package of cost-effective ‘intervention measures’, capture rates of food waste can be increased.
Local authorities can find out more about these food waste interventions at WRAP’s food waste recycling workshops, taking place on day two of this year’s LARAC Conference. Mike Gardner and Sally Wilson, Local Authority Account Managers in WRAP’s Local Government team, will give an overview of current trends in household food waste recycling and offer insight into the different ways to increase capture of food waste and improve scheme participation.
Helen Lambert, from Norwich City Council, will talk workshop delegates through the recent food waste interventions project that was delivered across Norwich, looking in detail at the approach taken, planning the project, the associated costs and lessons learnt.
For food waste collections to work well, local authorities need the support of their contractors, including food waste operators. Iain Pickles from Biogen will be joining us to give an operator’s perspective on areas such as contractual issues, and the role of the operator in supporting interventions.
The interactive workshop sessions will give local authorities a chance to share their own experiences with food waste collections, discuss the challenges of achieving good performance and how we can deliver an effective service within current budget pressures.
WRAP is currently supporting five local authorities to deliver food waste interventions by providing grant funding. We’re looking to support more local authorities this financial year. If you would like to discuss potential opportunities for funded support for your local authority, please email la.support@wrap.org.uk.
The food waste recycling workshop will be run twice on day 2 of the Conference, 11th October at 9.45-11.00am and 11.30-12.45pm.
[1] 40% of households in England currently receive a food waste collection.
