A new poll by the waste management has revealed that each person who throws away food waste at lunch in their workplace could generate enough electricity every week to charge a mobile phone 13 times if that waste was recycled properly.
At the same time, just over one in 10 workers think food waste in their workplace is sent to anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.
The poll – which surveyed 1,000 people – found that one in two people still find themselves throwing away part of their lunch in their workplace each week.
The main reasons for throwing away food at lunch was inedible food waste such as banana skins or eggshells (45%), busy schedules or plans changing (30%), poor food quality (28%), standard portion sizes too large (25%) and overordering (15%).
37% of respondents said that they are taking actions to reduce their food waste at lunch.
The findings emerged ahead of the forthcoming Simpler Recycling legislation where all businesses in England with 10 or more full-time employees will have to separate plastic, paper, card, glass, metals and food waste from general waste from 31 March 2025 or risk a fine.
Biffa has found that 76% of people who eat lunch in their workplace are still unaware of the Simpler Recycling scheme.
Maxine Mayhew, COO of collections and specialist services at Biffa, said: “Food waste is a significant, but often overlooked issue in workplaces, with many unaware of its potential to generate renewable energy or even used for composting if properly recycled.
“It’s essential to separate food waste, not only to reduce contamination in dry mixed recycling, but to enable us to recycle it and recover energy. Energy which can be used to charge mobile phones or boil a kettle for example.
“The implementation of Simpler Recycling at the end of this month for businesses with 10 or more full-time employees is a crucial step forward in managing waste more consistently and reducing confusion, whilst protecting the environment.
“However, it’s extremely worrying that less than one in four people who eat lunch in their workplace are aware of the scheme.”
Recycling in the office
Biffa’s poll also found that 18% of people are dissatisfied with their current recycling options at work, with four in 10 reporting that they do not have a separate food waste bin in their workplace.
77% said that they were concerned about the environmental impact of food waste, with 40% of people believing that it is sent to landfill.
Mayhew continued: “It’s clear from our research that there is an urgent need for businesses to improve food waste recycling ahead of Simpler Recycling, but wider awareness and education is also vital.
“Once separated, we can collect and transport food waste to one of our anaerobic digestion plants where it’s broken down and turned into biogas, which can be used to generate energy which is sent to the National Grid to power local homes and businesses.
“By making small changes, we can have an important positive impact on the environment and support a more sustainable future.”
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