School of Social and Political Science

Description

In 2018 the English government mandated that food wastes were to be separately collected from all households and commercial premises; the policy objectives being to raise recycling rates and remove biodegradable wastes from landfill disposal while creating a consistent recycling offer across the country. The policy’s legislative enactment (Environment Act 2021) marked the end of decades of voluntary collection and recycling of food wastes from municipal waste for English local authorities. Due to delays, different elements of this scheme would eventually roll out between April 2025-April 27. In this seminar, I will be discussing research undertaken with local authority waste managers and officers during summer 2024 and knowledge exchange workshops during summer 2025 as they prepare to implement the national scheme and take responsibility for managing food wastes within their local areas. I will be specifically focusing on challenges raised by local authority participants, namely financial resourcing, environmental and infrastructural concerns. 

Brief bio

Dr Jane Midgley is a Reader in Urban Social and Economic Practice at Newcastle University. Jane’s research explores the policy, commercial and third sector settings and how these create arrangements that organise the processes and practices that manage surplus foods and food wastes.