Written question asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 July 2011.

Food: Waste

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take in the forthcoming year to reduce food waste; and by what date they aim for zero food waste to go to landfill .

Answer: The Government’s review of waste policy in England, published in June, sets our direction to move towards a zero waste economy, in which resources are reused, recycled or recovered wherever possible, and only disposed of as a last resort. To reduce food waste in the forthcoming year, we will move towards fulfilling our commitments laid out in the review. The public sector will lead by example across its own estate. Government buying standards for the procurement of food and catering by government departments and their agencies are now ready to be implemented. We are also working with trade organisations and businesses to develop a responsibility deal in the hospitality sector, and will be continuing to make it easy for businesses and consumers to reduce food waste, notably through the Courtauld commitment. While we have not set a specific date to achieve zero food waste going to landfill, we believe that the measures set out in the waste review and the publication of the anaerobic digestion strategy and action plan highlight this as a foreseeable goal, while ensuring that waste collection services and the waste treatment infrastructure meet local needs.

Secondary information