The committee’s report, published this week, examines the cost of food waste in England, estimated at over £10 billion per year, and puts forward recommendations on how to reduce food waste levels and recognise how anaerobic digestion can recycle inedible food waste into low-carbon heat and power.
ADBA’s chief executive Charlotte Morton, who gave evidence directly to the committee in February this year, said: “This report is yet another voice pushing food waste up the political agenda and is a real wake-up call for the next government.
“The levels of food waste we’re currently seeing in England are a scandal - not only does food waste cost the average household £470 a year (£700 for those with children) plus disposal costs, which we pay for in our council tax bill - it also has a huge environmental impact both in terms of the wasted resources that have gone into producing food that is not eaten and the greenhouse gas emissions emitted from landfill sites.”
The ADBA has consistently called for mandatory separate food waste collections across England as a matter of urgency and is calling on political parties to use their manifestos to address the issue in England.
Other recommendations from the committee include mandatory reporting of food waste data by large food business and mandatory separation of food waste by business and retailers.
Anaerobic Digestion is the process by which organic materials are broken down to produce biogas, which can be used as fuel, for electricity and biofertiliser.