TO BE PUBLISHED December 2025
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This conference will consider the future for food waste and reporting in England. The agenda will consider next steps for separation and collection across workplaces and households, practicalities of transparent reporting and audits, and development of partnerships to support circular economy objectives and net zero targets.
Policy development & transitioning towards a circular economy
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss implementation in the context of the Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025 and Simpler Recycling scheme, looking at priorities for effective coordination between businesses, councils and contractors.
Discussion will also focus on Defra’s Resources and waste strategy for England: monitoring and evaluation - such as the use of indicators to track progress towards eliminating food waste to landfill by 2030 - as well as the United Kingdom Food Security Report 2024, the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget, and the Government’s Food Strategy.
The Government’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy - due to be published in autumn - will be examined, including its proposed roadmap for agri-food. Delegates will consider how strategic frameworks for collaboration across government, regulators, local authorities and the farming and food sectors can underpin a circular economy approach.
Practical rollout & reporting
Sessions will consider the rollout timetable, including introduction of weekly household food waste collections by April 2026, and concerns raised around service design, contractor capacity, and consistency of data use and reporting. Alignment with wider reforms - such as EPR and the DRS - will also be discussed.
Attendees will consider practical steps for workplaces and local authorities, with options for contracting licensed food waste carriers, establishing clear internal protocols to minimise contamination, preparing staff training and signage, and setting proportionate audit and reporting processes that support accountability.
Use of standardised tools and data - such as WRAP’s eTEEP tools for written assessments - will also be discussed, alongside approaches to support behaviour change and efficient service models in different settings.
Emissions
Further sessions assess strategic options for food waste policy to support reduction of greenhouse gas emissions - such as through redistribution of surplus food from farms and supply chains in coordination with charities and industry.
Overview of areas for discussion
- legislative framework: timetable for bringing Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025 in to force - regulations synching with local delivery plans - coordination with other waste and recycling rules
- tracking systems: readiness of councils and contractors to adopt the national platform - links to legacy data tools - clear protocols for recording and sharing information
- regulatory oversight: likely changes to carrier licensing conditions - requirements for proof of transfer - strategies to target non-compliance
- information use: modelling service costs and emissions savings from new data - interventions based on evidence - opportunities for transparent public reporting
- public engagement: awareness of waste reduction policies - communication strategies to encourage participation - strategies for hard-to-reach groups
- carbon budget targets: contribution of food waste measures to the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget - interaction with wider net zero policy - relevance to methane-reduction pathways
- redistribution networks: new routes from farm and supply chain to recipient organisations - investment in storage and transport - partnership models with charities and social enterprises
- market levers: role of pricing or tax measures in discouraging edible waste - assessment of commercial impacts - coordination with extended producer responsibility
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Business and Trade; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; and The Scottish Government.
