Q&A with Claire Atkins-Morris, Head of Waste Management with specialist caterer Sodexo

Ahead of UK AD & Biogas 2013 (3-4 July, NEC Birmingham), we asked by Deal Spy” href=”http://www.adbioresources.org/2013/06/12/qa-with-dr-jonathan-scurlock-nfu/#”>conference speaker Claire Atkins-Morris, Head of Waste Management at specialist caterer Sodexo, what she is working on right now, what she’s trying to achieve in the next two years and about the message she would like to get across to visitors of the show:

What are you working on at the moment that you’re most excited about?

A three stage waste management development programme to be rolled out across the UK&I business. This is exciting because it is the first time we have consolidated our waste training programme into a sequential learning platform with key milestones.

Realistically, what are the top three things you want to achieve in the next two years?

1) A number of our employees completing the waste development programme and progressing onto further steps including becoming waste ambassadors.

2) Demonstrable progress up the waste hierarchy.

3) Improved collaboration with cross segment business, academia and partners in the waste industry to progress the circular economy agenda.

What do you think the strengths of AD are? How does it fit into what you want to achieve over the next two years?

AD is a proven technology that government has recognised as the preferred route for food waste. Business and public perception is that AD is considered a solution rather than part of the problem or a stepping stone in waste management. As part of our progress up the waste hierarchy we are in the process of adopting the food waste pyramid; AD is a key component of this strategy. As more plants come online the more accessible AD will become.

If you were to become the Energy Secretary/Environment Secretary what would you change and why?

Tough question. I would like to remove areas of grey in government policies to provide better granularity to both business and the waste industry for example the use of macerators for the disposal of food waste.

How do you hope to influence the audience at UK AD & Biogas 2013? What are the 2 or 3 key messages you want them to remember?

I would like to provide the audience with a business perspective and the challenges we face in getting food waste recovered.

a) Food waste is high on the agenda for many businesses

b) A robust business case needs to be provided to demonstrate why food waste recovery would meet the business agenda

c) Industry recognising the challenges business face would assist to breakdown the perceived barriers.

Claire Atkins-Morris will be speaking about ‘The food and drink industry’s changing approach to food waste‘ on 3 July at 2.55pm in the free to attend conference at UK AD & Biogas 2013. Register here for free.