WASTE RECYCLING

[Stanley]

WASTE RECYCLING

8 April 2005

Waste recycling is a vital part of our fight against depletion of the planet’s resources but there is at least one area where recycling isn’t the answer, destruction is the only strategy that makes sense.
Five years ago I wrote a piece called ‘Waste Not Want Not’ which drew attention to the amount of sub-standard food that was being recycled and passed through the food chain. It was published nationally and drew a lot of attention. I note today that Farming Today on Radio 4 has done yet another piece about how councils, whose responsibility it is to police this trade, are not doing their job because of shortage of resources.
Here’s what I said then about the subject, 'Food processors, manufacturers, retailers and restaurants should be made to account for their waste. There should be a clear audit trail which allows verification of the means of disposal. This regulatory framework should be tight enough to ensure that sub-standard food is not allowed re-entry into the food chain whether it be human or animal.’
This is the obvious course to pursue. Make it mandatory for every food processor to account for their waste by making a monthly return to the regulatory body. This should describe the waste and its destination. If the companies were made to commit this to the public record they would have an incentive to police their own business more closely. The councils would be able to monitor quantities and by comparison would soon recognise unusual patterns. It would be cheaper, more efficient and give a sound basis for any prosecutions. The basic principle is that the producer of the waste should be responsible for this accounting instead of it being left to random checks at public expense. The polluter should pay.
Until something like this is put in place sub-standard material will continue to be returned to the food chain because it is profitable. Isn’t it about time we got our act together on this and made it impossible?

8 April 2005