>>plans to reduce landfill must not overlook existing success stories. Tony Lowe, CEO, FareShare
The government’s announcement last week of £284m to help business make the most of its waste should be welcomed. This is good news for the food and drink industry which, more than any other business sector, relies on landfill to dispose of much of its food waste.
Estimates suggest a third of all waste that goes into landfill is from the food chain and that anything up to 3.8 million tonnes of this is fit for human consumption.
However, when you consider the overall size of the industry, the often short life of product and lack of disposal options then this is hardly surprising or that extraordinary.
The brief for Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (Brew) is to minimise waste from business to landfill. Excellent you say, at last a payback from the landfill tax my business pays dutifully each year. At last access to support, investment and recognition for all those initiatives the food and drink industry has helped develop over the years without any assistance.
Well maybe, but it’s not all good news. This money only represents the increases on the landfill tax coming into effect over the next few years - the vast amount of the tax will still be out of reach in the old system.
Secondly, it’s thinly spread over at least eight, already well-funded statutory bodies to develop initiatives for your business.
Thirdly it ignores the fact that a significant amount of food and drink is still fit to be consumed when it goes to landfill.
FareShare, the national surplus food redistribution charity, has been working for 10 years with some of the industry’s leading companies to take quality surplus product that would otherwise go to landfill and deliver it to charities across the country.
Last year we were able to contribute food for over 2.5 million meals and estimate that 12,000 homeless and other disadvantaged people have now eaten a nutritious meal which they would not otherwise have had.
We estimate the value of this food to be in the region of £5m - 43% of our 250 local charities tell us that they can use the money they save on food to invest in other essential services for the community.
FareShare has struggled to develop its network. Funds to invest in the scheme through the old unwieldy landfill tax credit scheme were difficult to access but were at least available. Then in 2003, after little consultation, the category under which we
could apply was removed, putting our network of schemes and other initiatives diverting waste from landfill under threat.
Subsequent consultation on the use of increases in landfill tax has invited our views. However, Defra and the Treasury have told us that saving food destined for landfill for charities is not considered cost effective or relevant under the new scheme.
Seeing as it’s clear that waste and poverty will continue to be significant issues both for society and the industry, why not use a little of the new fund to develop our existing successful model to address both food waste and food poverty?
Just because even the poorest families have microwaves, it doesn’t mean they can afford to eat well and regularly. Four million people in Britain do not eat properly because of low income and being unable to afford fresh fruit and vegetables. One in seven people over 65 are at risk of malnutrition - a disease which is is believed to cost Britain between £2-4bn a year.
Don’t get me wrong, we support Brew and the long overdue attempts to limit the use of landfill. However, it’s essential we have the chance, before any final solution, to identify and use food that is fit for consumption.
We need your backing to ensure we get the support we need to provide this service to the industry and the community. Please help us make our case by writing to Gordon Brown and Margaret Beckett.
n A FareShare information pack is available at www.fareshare.org.uk. Alternatively email enquiries@fareshare.org.uk or call Alex Green on 0207 3942462.
The government’s announcement last week of £284m to help business make the most of its waste should be welcomed. This is good news for the food and drink industry which, more than any other business sector, relies on landfill to dispose of much of its food waste.
Estimates suggest a third of all waste that goes into landfill is from the food chain and that anything up to 3.8 million tonnes of this is fit for human consumption.
However, when you consider the overall size of the industry, the often short life of product and lack of disposal options then this is hardly surprising or that extraordinary.
The brief for Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (Brew) is to minimise waste from business to landfill. Excellent you say, at last a payback from the landfill tax my business pays dutifully each year. At last access to support, investment and recognition for all those initiatives the food and drink industry has helped develop over the years without any assistance.
Well maybe, but it’s not all good news. This money only represents the increases on the landfill tax coming into effect over the next few years - the vast amount of the tax will still be out of reach in the old system.
Secondly, it’s thinly spread over at least eight, already well-funded statutory bodies to develop initiatives for your business.
Thirdly it ignores the fact that a significant amount of food and drink is still fit to be consumed when it goes to landfill.
FareShare, the national surplus food redistribution charity, has been working for 10 years with some of the industry’s leading companies to take quality surplus product that would otherwise go to landfill and deliver it to charities across the country.
Last year we were able to contribute food for over 2.5 million meals and estimate that 12,000 homeless and other disadvantaged people have now eaten a nutritious meal which they would not otherwise have had.
We estimate the value of this food to be in the region of £5m - 43% of our 250 local charities tell us that they can use the money they save on food to invest in other essential services for the community.
FareShare has struggled to develop its network. Funds to invest in the scheme through the old unwieldy landfill tax credit scheme were difficult to access but were at least available. Then in 2003, after little consultation, the category under which we
could apply was removed, putting our network of schemes and other initiatives diverting waste from landfill under threat.
Subsequent consultation on the use of increases in landfill tax has invited our views. However, Defra and the Treasury have told us that saving food destined for landfill for charities is not considered cost effective or relevant under the new scheme.
Seeing as it’s clear that waste and poverty will continue to be significant issues both for society and the industry, why not use a little of the new fund to develop our existing successful model to address both food waste and food poverty?
Just because even the poorest families have microwaves, it doesn’t mean they can afford to eat well and regularly. Four million people in Britain do not eat properly because of low income and being unable to afford fresh fruit and vegetables. One in seven people over 65 are at risk of malnutrition - a disease which is is believed to cost Britain between £2-4bn a year.
Don’t get me wrong, we support Brew and the long overdue attempts to limit the use of landfill. However, it’s essential we have the chance, before any final solution, to identify and use food that is fit for consumption.
We need your backing to ensure we get the support we need to provide this service to the industry and the community. Please help us make our case by writing to Gordon Brown and Margaret Beckett.
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