Public Sector Offices
Measuring and monitoring food waste is required by the Public Sector Climate Action Plan Mandate from 2024.
Food Waste Prevention for Public Offices
Measuring and monitoring food waste is required by the Public Sector Climate Action Plan Mandate from 2024. The following guide explains how to measure food waste using the EPA’s standard food waste measurement method.
The Food Waste Measurement Tool (.xlsx) helps public sector offices to estimate their food waste volumes using their waste bills.
This information can be used to start working towards improving food waste management in your workplace by adopting the principles of waste prevention, reduction, and segregation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not to worry, this happens to many sites that start this process. The main thing is to just make a start on gathering information and this will help identify gaps that you can address in the future. Also, as your data improves, so too will the accuracy of your food waste numbers.
If you are looking for bin weights, there is a statutory obligation on waste collectors to provide this information to you. S.I. No. 104/2023 requires that all waste collected must be weighed, with details on the weights of the individual bins communicated to customers.
This is up to you – you can aggregate all your information and treat it as one calculation. However, we would recommend that you treat each one separately as this will allow you to compare and contrast how different sites are performing.
MyWaste.ie has lots of resources for businesses on their website, including bin signs and educational supports. See: www.mywaste.ie/business
The Savour Food programme provides an online training certificate for food service staff. While not specifically tailored for staff in public offices, much of it will be relevant and of importance to day to day activities.
