National Food Waste Recycling Week, which runs until June 11th, has launched a national campaign to spread awareness and provide tips to encourage households and businesses to recycle more food waste and how to do it properly.
In Ireland, there are approximately 800,000 tonnes of food each year, according to current best estimates.
There will be a food waste briefing in Thurles Anner Hotel tomorrow night from 4 until 6pm for local food businesses with a range of guest speakers, demonstrations, and a case study by Supervalu Thurles.
Pauline McDonogh, Circular Economy Coordinator, Southern Waste Region, says a common aversion to recycling food is the “yuck factor,” which she says doesn’t stack up.
“The most important thing to remember is that whichever bin you’re putting the waste into, you already have the waste. So, this argument that the brown bin is “smelly” really isn’t one that stacks up. If we separate out our food waste properly, there shouldn’t be a smell, and it shouldn’t be attracting flys in the kitchen.”
Tipperary food businesses are being encouraged to attend the informational event for National Food Waste Week tomorrow evening from 4pm-6pm.
Pauline also explains new legislation around food waste that will come into effect on January 1, 2024.
“The new legislation in January is really to create a level playing field. At the moment, all businesses are entitled to a food waste service, regardless of their size. For householders, you must be living in an agglomeration or a settlement size of 500 houses or more. So, from the 1st of January, 2024, all households will be eligible to get this service of a food waste recycling bin, or “brown bin,” as a lot of people call them.”
