Key Obligations for Businesses

Key Obligations for Businesses

A key requirement of the Food Waste Regulations is that food waste must be kept separate from other waste. This prevents it becoming contaminated and unsuitable for recycling. The legislation also prevents segregated food waste from being disposed of by being sent to landfill.

A business that is subject to this legislation has three alternative options for its segregated food waste:

• The waste can be collected by a waste collector that is offering a brown bin collection service. The collector always must take it to an approved plant for recycling by composting or by another similar process;
• The waste can be transported by the business directly to a composting plant or other type of food waste recycling facility ; or
• The waste can be dealt by the business on-site using a composting unit.

Businesses that want to compost food waste on site usually need a Certificate of Registration from their local authority. This is a requirement of the Waste Management Act.

Macerators

Some businesses have installed food waste macerators that attach to sink units. The use of these and other similar devices to dispose of food waste into the sewerage system is prohibited by the Food Waste Regulations when a food waste collection service is available. This provision applies irrespective of whether a discharge licence has been issued which allows food effluent to pass to a sewer. Again, this is to ensure that food waste is consigned for recycling.

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