Food retailers urged to follow new guidelines
Businesses in Rutherglen and Cambuslang who sell food are being urged to make sure they know how their waste should be handled.
And to ensure they are up to speed with legislation, officers from South Lanarkshire Council’s environmental services will visit more than 500 premises across South Lanarkshire – from pubs and cafes to supermarkets – over the next two months.
The programme of visits is specifically designed to check compliance with the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 which requires ‘all reasonable steps are taken’ to separate dry recyclable waste and food waste for collection.
Introduced in January 2014, the legislation requires all businesses to present recyclables separately. Food businesses in urban areas producing more than 50kg of food waste a week were also to make sure arrangements were in place to collect their food waste separately.
And, as of January 1, 2016, the law relating to the separate collection of food waste will change further and apply to all urban food businesses producing more than 5kg of food waste each week.
Shirley Clelland, head of fleet and environmental services, said: “The legislation as it applies to food businesses is changing next year, and premises in our towns will need to make sure they are in the position to separate their waste and have suitable collection arrangements in place.
“Our visits are designed to ensure that where possible retailers are already following the guidance and putting in place the facilities they need to comply with the law when it changes early next year.
“We will also be including the larger retailers to whom the legislation also applies.
“This is not just about enforcement, but support and education. Officers will be able to advise the business operators and give them information about their responsibilities.
“We hope that by working together now, the many hundreds of businesses selling food across South Lanarkshire will be in the position to make a much easier transition to the new arrangements.”
Some non-food business premises will also be visited as part of the programme to ensure that they are separating for collection their dry recyclable waste.
Further information for businesses is available from environmental services on 0303 123 1015 or from the Zero Waste Scotland website at www. zerowastescotland.org.uk.
Officers will be able to advise the business operators and give them information