Working

towards a

Greener Future

28th January 2015

The ZERO Waste to Landfill Debate

Discussed by David Adams of 707
Despite the call for the Green Party to be included in
the General Election leaders debates, its
disappointing to see that waste management and
recycling appears to be dropping off the political
agenda. Pending a review into resource security, The
Labour Party has retracted its commitment to ban food
waste from landfill if it wins the general election in May.

Quick Facts
Dropping off the political
agenda
The labour party has retracted
its commitment to ban food
waste from landfill if they win
the general election in May.

15 million tonnes of food

waste produced each year
with 40% going to landfill

Just three months ago, I acknowledged the promising

steps the industry has taken towards zero food waste to
landfill and the need to win the hearts and minds of our
leaders in business and policy makers at Westminster to
make this a reality. Is there a danger, as the General
Election race begins to heat up, the waste and
recycling sector will be ignored for bigger political
footballs?

Continues on Page 2

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28th January 2015

Integer metus.

Lorem.
byline
[Name]

A UK-wide ban on food waste to landfill is required when it

comes to our war on waste and our quest to re-use and recycle.
The seriousness of the waste debate
should not be overlooked and I believe
its imperative that we, as a sector, do
not see this as a step backwards but
instead a call to arms. In the UK, almost
15 million tonnes of food waste is
generated each year and around 40 per
cent of that is still disposed of via landfill.
As we know, this has devastating and
avoidable environmental
consequences. In terms of safeguarding
our future, it could be argued that
political decisions regarding sustainable
waste management hold just as much
prominence as financial and economic
reform.
Achieving zero food waste to landfill will
rely on the support of those in
government with the power to influence
legislation and policy.
2

The ambitious targets set out by

Scotland in its Zero Food Waste Plan has
set a positive benchmark for the rest of
the UK and is a leading example of just
what can be achieved with the support
of business leaders and policy makers. In
four months, Britain will elect its next
government and we have a
responsibility, regardless of our political
views, to ensure that in this time of
austerity our industrys case is high on
the agenda of all the political parties.

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28th January 2015

On that note, it is therefore concerning that broadcast

regulator Ofcom has claimed the Green Party has not
demonstrated significant electoral support in past
general elections to be included in the TV election
leaders debates. These debates will be instrumental in
publicly voicing our case for a sustainable future.
Naturally, the Green Party have environmental issues
high on their agenda. It remains to be seen whether
waste management will be as highly regarded by the
UKs other political parties in their manifestos and by
the mainstream media.

David Adams

What is clear, however, is that a collaborative

approach across all sectors will be crucial in driving our
case forward in parliament, inspiring UK businesses to
take action in the war on waste and incentivizing
segregated food waste collection by making it a
widely available and commercially viable option for all.
END

David Adams is the Managing Director of 707

Waste Management Services.

707 work together with companies of all sizes

throughout the UK, in order to find better waste
management solutions and save clients money. They
are extremely focused on reducing waste at source,
increasing recycling and ultimately reducing waste
sent to landfill.