The Food and Drink Learning Tool (www.netregs.gov.uk/training) has been developed with the specific needs of food and drink manufacturers and processors in mind. It includes six straightforward learning modules to help the user fully understand the different aspects of managing their waste and what they should be doing to comply with the laws that specifically apply to them. These modules include storing waste, transporting waste, waste disposal, reusing or recovering waste, hazardous waste and animal by-products.

Helen Eyles, Customer Services & Carrier Despatch at drinks merchant Vintage Roots is responsible for overseeing the company’s waste management strategy and has been involved in the pilot testing of the tool. She believes that it will make information on regulations simpler businesses in the industry to understand: “As a company that both receives and generates waste, it is extremely important for us to understand the most efficient ways to process this and also keep up-to-date about changes to environmental legislation which may affect us.

She adds, “The NetRegs tool is very easy to use and clearly separates out all the different aspects of managing waste. It gave me the reassurance that we are complying with the appropriate legislations and has expanded my knowledge in particular areas, such as transporting waste.”

The food and drink sector is the second highest producer of waste in the England and Wales, generating 3 million tonnes of waste in 2007**, and has specific responsibilities under a range of waste regulations. Several changes have been implemented over the last 12 months to tighten up waste controls in this sector, and businesses not aware of these changes could face prosecution for non-compliance.

Richard Martin, Programme Manager at NetRegs said: “We understand how difficult it is for small businesses to keep on top of changing regulations. The food and drink sector is subject to a range of laws, from waste disposal to use of packaging and water resources – but understanding these needn’t cost time and money. The new Food and Drink Learning Tool provides a very user friendly, one-stop-shop to help businesses condense all the information surrounding waste management.”

This is the second online guidance tool NetRegs has launched to help guide small and medium-sized businesses through their responsibilities within environmental legislation. The first one was developed for the agricultural industry in March 2008 to provide a one-stop-shop for farmers on waste compliance issues.