Hospital Food + Service Magazine Highlights New Food Waste Rules

The upcoming new food waste disposal rules in England have been picked up by the leading hospital food publication, Hospital Food + Service in their January/February 2023 edition.

The new rules which are part of the Environment Act 2021 which received royal assent in November 2021, mean that food waste must be collected separately for recycling or composting which in turn, means that disposing of food waste into drains using macerators and other equipment such as liquidizing digesters will no longer be allowed.

You can read the article on PAGE 12 in Hospital Food + Service Magazine here.

Hospitals Urged To Start Planning Now

The article discusses the operational changes which are likely to be required as hospitals in England mainly still use macerators. The start date hasn’t been announced yet but is widely expected to be in 2023. Estates departments and waste managers are encouraged to start planning now in order to remain compliant with the law.

The legislation doesn’t just apply to hospitals but to all commercial organizations which generate food waste such as hotels and restaurants. Domestic food waste disposal is also covered by the new law in an effort to standardize the recycling of food waste, but this may not start until 2024 as it will involve many local authorities that don't recycle food waste having to purchase food waste collection vehicles.

New Rules Will Increase Waste Disposal Costs

Switching from a macerator to having food waste collected in wheelie bins will create its own problems such as:

• Cost: putting food waste down the drain has been seen as a no-cost solution. This will end.
• Vermin, pests and hygiene: food waste collected separately in wheelie bins, particularly in the summer months will attract rats, flies etc. This is already a major problem for many hospitality venues and hospitals.
• New operational procedures will be required.

So What To Do?

Don’t be caught out. If your organization produces food waste you can get ahead by downloading our FREE GUIDE. It will give you useful information on what to do next such as:

• What's allowed and what's not
• Options to save money on disposal
• 8-point Action Plan to be prepared

It will help you start planning now to put systems in place to make sure you comply and avoid hefty fines. 

For more information on the steps you can take to comply download your FREE GUIDE from here or contact us.