Tackling food waste: Key takeaways from our event 

Discover how to cut costs and reduce waste – read the full report on our Food Waste Support event! 

On Tuesday 18 March, Bristol Good Food 2030 hosted a free event at 6 O’clock Gin at The Glassboat aimed at supporting food businesses, caterers and the wider hospitality sector to get ahead of the upcoming Simpler Recycling legislation. The event provided valuable insights from industry leaders, offering practical advice on how businesses can reduce food waste, cut costs, and prepare for the new recycling requirements. 

With the new rules coming into effect from 31 March 2025 (for businesses with 10 or more full-time employees), the event focused on key challenges and solutions for the sector. Here’s a roundup of the advice and tips shared by the expert speakers – take a look at the slides from the event here. 

Why food waste matters 

Heloise Balme from Bristol Food Network (the organisation delivering Bristol Good Food 2030’s programme of work) highlighted the shocking scale of food waste globally. Heloise talked about how 25-30% of total food produced is lost or wasted and that food waste contributes 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Heloise emphasised that preventing food waste saves 60 times the amount of carbon emissions than recycling. 

The Bristol Good Food website offers a handy tool for redistributing surplus food – a simple and effective way to cut waste while supporting local communities. Charlotte Jackson from Bristol Food Network has provided some resources and tips on this website to help with the food waste rules changing soon. 

Simpler Recycling Legislation: what you need to know  

Stuart Elliott from Veolia outlined the key points of the new Simpler Recycling legislation: 

• From 31 March 2025, businesses with 10 or more full-time employees (FTE) must segregate waste for appropriate recycling. 

• Smaller businesses (fewer than 10 FTE) will have until 31 March 2027 to comply. 

• Businesses will need to arrange separate collections for food waste and a core set of dry recyclables. 

• Stuart stressed that businesses should act now to set up systems and train staff. Veolia will provide ongoing education and support to help businesses adjust. He also mentioned lessons from Wales, where similar rules have already been introduced, highlighting that consistent waste segregation and staff engagement are key to success. 

Challenges and solutions: practical advice 

Sarah Hargreaves from Resource Futures shared lessons from Wales and practical steps to improve waste management: 

• Conduct a waste audit: identify key waste streams, check if you have the right bins and collection frequency. WRAP provides helpful guidelines. 

• Improve signage: make it easy for customers and staff to recycle correctly. 

• Train staff regularly: short, bite-sized training sessions work better than long, one-off sessions. 

• Guardians of Grub: check out this useful resource for tracking and reducing food waste. 

• Create a culture of accountability: staff are more engaged when they feel connected to the system. 

Sarah noted that the biggest contaminants in recycling are cutlery (like knives and forks), which are often removed with magnets at processing sites. 

More kitchen strategies 

Monserrat Buitrago from Windmill Hill City Farm shared clever tips to reduce waste in the kitchen: 

• Design menus strategically: use ingredients across multiple dishes to avoid overproduction. 

• Optimise ingredient use: for example, use watermelon skin for pickles or onion skin for powder. 

• Label food correctly: train staff to manage inventory and avoid spoilage. 

• Upsell surplus food: encourage front-of-house staff to push dishes that need to be sold first. 

• Choose suppliers carefully: work with suppliers who align with your sustainability goals. 

Monserrat’s key message: Reducing waste saves money and boosts sustainability – it’s a win-win. 

Data-driven waste reduction 

Laura Mellor from Boston Tea Party took a data-focused approach to waste reduction: 

• Track waste by ingredient, batch, and dish to spot patterns. 

• Conduct regular reviews: staff feedback helps identify what’s working and what’s not. 

• Incentivise staff: bonus schemes for hitting waste reduction targets can motivate teams. 

• Plan-ahead: consider seasonal demand and sporting events when planning stock levels. 

• Minimise single-use ingredients: mushrooms, for example, are often wasted when only used in one dish. 

Laura’s practical tip: Turn bread into croutons, use coffee grounds for compost and rethink garnishes – if it’s not going to be eaten, leave it off the plate! 

Uniting the city 

Tom Swithinbank from the Bristol BIDs ended the talks explaining how Bristol’s different business improvement districts (BIDs) are working to create cleaner, greener and more sustainable business environments.  

Key takeaways include 

• Better bin placement and clearer signage at events and venues can significantly improve recycling rates. 

• Businesses are asking for better contracts with waste providers – setting clear KPIs helps monitor and improve service levels. 

• Charities are key partners in food redistribution – businesses need reliable partners to collect surplus food. 

Key challenges raised in the workshops 

During the peer-led workshops, attendees shared common challenges and explored solutions: 

• Space: lack of storage and bin space is a major barrier for many businesses. 

• Costs: setting up new recycling systems comes with financial pressure. 

• Education: staff need better training to understand how and why to recycle correctly. 

• Consumer behaviour: customers often use the wrong bins – better signage and clear communication are essential. 

Take action now 

The new legislation may feel daunting, but the message from the event was clear: start preparing now. Conduct a waste audit, engage staff and explore local solutions for recycling and redistribution. Reducing food waste isn’t just about compliance – it’s about improving your bottom line, building customer loyalty and contributing to a more sustainable Bristol. 

Take a look at Bristol Good Food’s Hospitality Guide for more advice about food waste and other global sustainability challenges using local resources and knowledge.

To stay updated on future events, job opportunities and news, don’t forget to sign up for the monthly Bristol Good Food Update at bristolgoodfood.org/newsletter.