The National Food Waste Recycling Week 2023 was officially launched yesterday (Thursday, May 25) to encourage the generation of renewable energy from food waste.

The awareness campaign runs from the June 5 to June 11 and will provide “practical advice, with easy-to-follow” hints and tips, with the aim to encourage “everyone” to recycle more of their food waste.

This year’s campaign aims to ensure that people understand that food waste needs to be fully separated from all packaging such as plastic or other containers, to prevent contamination at the compost and anaerobic digestion facilities leading to higher quality recycling.

The campaign is being managed by Ireland’s three regional waste management planning offices and funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Recycling and agriculture

The overall aim of the campaign is to generate awareness of the role of recycling in diverting this resource from landfill and allowing it to be transformed into renewable energy and fertilisers for horticulture and agriculture use in Ireland.

Properly recycled food waste can be used to produce energy through anaerobic digestion and to produce clean, organic fertiliser.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue added that this National Food Waste Recycling Week his message to everyone is “straightforward”.

“We all have a role to play in reducing food waste. It benefits our local environment, can help us reach our climate targets, helps us show our farmers, fishers and food producers that we value their products and of course it can help us save money on our grocery bills,” Minister McConalogue said.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that food waste costs the average Irish household about €60/month or €700/yr. According to EPA that is an annual national cost of €1.29 billion.

National Food Waste Recycling Week

MyWaste said that Ireland wastes about 800,000t of food each year, according to current estimates.

Minister of State with responsibility for public procurement, eGovernment and the circular Economy, Ossian Smyth said:

“During this year’s National Food Waste Recycling Week, we’re going to show businesses and households how to easily cut food waste. It’s more money in your pocket but it’s also a source of clean energy and climate-friendly fertiliser.”

One of the highlights according to MyWaste for this year’s campaign, is its attendance at Bloom where it will be hosting talks each day at the Bloom Sustainable Living Stage during the Bord Bia Bloom Festival.

MyWaste said that visitors will be able to hear from the company’s experts as well as gardener Marie Staunton on how recycling works and its benefits using several interactive exhibits.