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Commercial Food Waste

Commercial Food Waste Regulations

The Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 amended by the Waste Management (Food Waste)(Amendment) Regulations 2015 place obligations on businesses regarding any food waste that arises within their premises.

What do the Regulations mean for my business?

Premises that produce food waste are not allowed to dispose of food waste in their residual bin instead:

All food waste arising on the premises will be need to be segregated and kept separate from other waste and contamination,
Such segregated food waste will have to be either:

  • Collected by an authorised collector the waste collector should be authorised to collect catering waste EWC code 20 01 08
  • Brought by the producer to an authorised facility for treatment in an authorised compost or anaerobic digester facility.

Alternatively a producer may have an on-site compost facility to recover their waste; however this would require a certificate of registration from Waterford City and County Council and may require approval from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Macerators / Sink Waste Disposal Units

The use of food waste macerators to shred or hydrate or otherwise alter the structure of food waste for the purposes of facilitating its discharge in waste water to a service connection, drain or sewer is prohibited by the Food Waste Regulations.

This provision applies irrespective of whether a discharge licence under the Water Pollution Act has been issued which allows food effluent to pass to a sewer. This is to ensure that food waste is consigned for recycling and also to avoid blockages in the drainage system.

 

Trade Shows and Events

In addition organisers of trade shows, exhibitions and events where food is supplied must prepare Food Waste Management Plan(s) before and Food Waste Management Implementation Report(s) after the events on their provisions made and implemented in order to comply with these Regulations.

Further information is available on www.foodwaste.ie

Can I feed food waste to animals?

Feeding leftover food to animals falls under Animal By-Products Regulations

Under the European Communities (Animal By-Products) Regulations 2014 and Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 and Regulation (EU) No. 142/2011, there is a general prohibition of feeding catering waste to animals.

Catering waste is categorised as a Category 3 material under these regulations.

Catering waste: ‘means all waste food including used cooking oil originating in restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens, including central kitchens and household kitchens’ e.g. waste food from household, kitchens, restaurants, hotels, canteens in supermarkets, schools, prisons etc’

There is an exemption where premises registered under the above regulations with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are authorised to sell category 3 material to holders of a meat feeding licence.

Holders of a meat feeding licence must own or be responsible for one of the following animal groups:

  1. Dogs from recognised kennels (kennels recognised by a national body/organisation).
  2. Zoo animals
  3. Maggots for fishing bait.

Further details can be found on DAFM’s website

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