What Happens to Waste
Disposal of food and kitchen waste
Background
It is becoming increasingly important to ensure as much food and kitchen waste as possible is separated from general household waste and either composted at home or in central composting facilities. This is because, under the EU Landfill Directive, the UK is committed to reducing the amount of biodegradable waste in landfill. It is also important that other biodegradable elements of household waste, for example, garden waste and paper and card, are separated out and recycled or composted. Clearly this is also important so valuable natural resources are not wasted.
Why do we need to reduce biodegradable municipal waste in landfill?
Landfill is a major source of methane - a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Methane is produced when biodegradable materials such as paper, food wastes and green wastes, decompose in the absence of oxygen. For this reason the Government and our partners in Europe agreed the EU Landfill Directive which sets ambitious targets for the reduction of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
Specifically, by 2020 we must reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (which includes household waste) in landfill to 35% of that in 1995.
Local authorities in other European countries often separately collect food waste from households and local businesses, which is then sent for composting. Local authorities and their private and community sector partners in England will need to do this more.
In the UK, local authorities must take account of legislation which sets the rules for the treatment catering waste must undergo before it can be spread on land.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
These FAQs are designed to address some of the issues related to the disposal of food and kitchen waste, and are not intended to provide a comprehensive review.
Q1. Can kitchen and catering waste be composted?
Regulation 1774/2002 (the EU Animal By-Products Regulation) has applied since 1 May 2003. It permits the treatment in approved composting and biogas plants of catering and other low-risk (Category 3) animal by-products. There is a home composting exemption for situations where the catering waste is generated, composted and then used all on the same premises ie. once brought onto a site in the form of food, the waste material does not then leave the site. This may also apply to schools, flats, hospitals, prisons etc.
Q2. Under the animal by-products legislation, will householders who keep pets or other animals (which would access composted material spread on their land) be allowed to use composted kitchen waste on their gardens?
Yes, subject to certain conditions (see below) and providing it is composted from the kitchen waste of the household. Some pet animals are just as susceptible to diseases as farmed animals, and must not be allowed access to catering waste. If you keep a pet pig or any pet ruminant, therefore, you must not compost on the premises. This does not of course prevent you from sending your kitchen waste for composting at an approved site elsewhere. If you keep poultry and you wish to compost at home, you must do so in an enclosed container.
Q3. Do I need a licence to compost at home?
No. Householders are excluded from the requirement to have a waste management license for a composting site. This requirement only applies to "establishments and undertakings". The Animal By-Products Regulation also exempts domestic households from the need to be licensed by the State Veterinary Service to compost catering/kitchen waste.
Page last modified: 11 May 2006
Page published: 5 February 2003