Food Waste Regulations – Experience in Ireland

Philip NugentPrincipal Waste Policy and Resource Efficiency Dept. of the Environment, Community & Local GovernmentIreland

Presentation Structure

• Main focus on commercial food waste regs• Background / context • Overview of content and objectives• Parallel measures Programme for Government• Impacts• Lessons learned, enforcement approaches• Next steps

Commercial Food Waste Regs – Background and context

• 2007 PfG Commitments• National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste• Minister – more segregation, restrict bio waste material going to landfill,

including food waste• Pre-consultation on food waste instrument – early 2009• Main issues:

Costs / admin burden Infrastructure capacity De minimis threshold Enforcement

• Draft Regulations published August 2009 for further consultation

• Development of awareness

2009 Regs – Content and Objectives

• Signed December 2009, effective 1 July 2010• Designed to:

Promote segregation and beneficial use of food waste arising in the commercial sector

Increase amount of food waste that is recovered Facilitate achievement of targets

• Obligations on generators of food waste to segregate and make available for separate collection or

• Treat on premises under specified conditions• Initially appled to premises producing 50kg per week of food waste –

de minimus rule• Sunset on 1 July 2011 – thereafter all scheduled premises were

covered

Application – What types of premises are covered?

• What types of premises are included? • Such as…

Pubs Restaurants / cafes / bistros / wine bars Hotels / guest houses Shops / supermarkets Hospitals / nursing homes Educational institutions State buildings Canteens Stations (airports, ports, harbours, marinas, train stations)

• Do not apply to other commercial or industrial activities such as food manufacturing other than canteens etc.

Exemptions / de minimus rule

• Initially confined to >50kg• All scheduled premises• Where source-segregation is imposed• Producers < 50kg required to claim exemption by 1 July 2010• Expired 1 July 2011• Alignment with ABP legislation • Off-shore islands exempt

Segregation and processing obligations

• No conflict with food safety and hygiene standards• Requirement to segregate food waste from non-biodegradable

materials, other waste and contaminants• Once segregated, food waste must be either:

Collected by an authorised waste collector and transferred for treatment – no incineration!

OR Subject to authorised treatment process on-premises

OR Transferred directly by producer to facility for authorised

treatment • Minimise odours and nuisance

Handling and prohibition on contamination

• Mixing of food waste with contaminants prohibited

• Prevents making food waste unsuitable for composting or diminishing quality of end product

• Exception for disposal waste which competent authority considers unsuitable for beneficial use arising from authorised treatment process

Segregated collection service

• Obligation to avail of source-segregated collection where available• Deposition of food waste as residual waste is prohibited• Treatment of macerators• Need to restrict load going to sewers and sewage treatment works• Polluter pays principle• Collectors not obliged to collect where producer is non-compliant or to

accept non-segregated waste• Collectors also required to inform LA where producers fail to avail of

collection service• Dealers / brokers / recovery operators – obligation to supply

information.

Other important provisions

• Power to require submission of information• Offences• Liability • Trade shows and food waste management plans• Some important definitions

Authorised facility Authorised waste collector Authorised treatment process Producer

Awareness Raising / Stakeholder Engagement

• 2 consultation processes• www.foodwaste.ie• Advisory Committee• Trade magazine articles• Factsheets• Plain English guide • FAQs• Media advertisements – national and local / regional papers• 8 Regional workshops for Restaurant of Ireland of Ireland Members

Outcomes

• Economic performance and waste streams• Commercial waste significantly down since 2007• Large proportion is biodegradable• Good for the achievement of diversion targets but conceals full picture• Closer inspection suggests not yet effecting behavioural change….

306,578 (tonnes available commercial organic waste)

-75,857 (estimated source separated commercial organic waste)

_____________

230,721 tonnes (EPA 2011, National Waste Report 2011)

• Only 25% collection

Outcomes cont’d

• Waste processors – optimistic ahead of introduction, investment decisions made but expectations not fully realised

• Waste producers – reduced costs through avoided landfill levy, incentivised to reduce and prevent food waste

• Enforcement critical

• Overall compliance disappointing but some good examples

Dublin City Council – Enforcement Approach

• 2,300 food service establishments (FSE) in DCC required to hold a licence to discharge trade effluent under the fats oils and grease (FOG) programme

• Inspections carried out by FOG team of inspectors• Inspections now cover compliance with Food Waste Regulations• Initially many excuses given as to why food segregation was not

occurring• Importance reinforced through continuous inspections• Each inspection used as a means to educate and train FSE owners and

staff• 12 month period - compliance up from 6.5% to 39%

Fingal County Council – Enforcement Approach

DoECLG Big Stick Approach

• DoECLG selected 5 local authorities at random• Friendly visits – compliance record on food waste regs• Enforcement activities funded from the Environment Fund• Allocations normally made in February / March• Threat to withhold until certain steps taken

Where next?

• Focus on enforcement• Further evolution of enforcement structures• Mainstream identified best practices• Further information / awareness raising• Incentivise good performance• Fixed payment notices

Thank youwww.environ.ie

Philip NugentWaste Policy and Resource EfficiencyDepartment of the Environment, Community and Local Government,Newtown Road,WexfordIrelandTelephone: +(353) (0)53 9117396Philip.nugent@environ.ie

Some Useful Websites

• www.environ.ie Ireland’s Department of the Environment,

Community and Local Government

• www.epa.ie Environmental Protection Agency

• www.foodwaste.ie