1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to encourage the recycling of food waste in Wales? OAQ(5)0157(ERA)

Thank you. Food waste recycling and prevention are promoted through the Recycle for Wales behaviour change campaign, run by WRAP Cymru, including the Love Food Hate Waste app. I’m discussing with local authorities the possibility of funding an enhanced behaviour change campaign, to include further reinforcing these messages.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. It’s certainly so important that we encourage households to maximise the recycling of food waste in Wales. I’m very proud of the fact that, last year, the anaerobic digestion facility at Bryn Pica in my constituency transformed food waste into enough electricity to power more than 2,500 homes for the calendar year. How can the Welsh Government best promote the message that, if households do create food waste—and public services and private businesses too—it is properly recycled, so that it can be harnessed to power homes and buildings?

It is really important that householders do understand what happens, and we’ve now got 99 per cent of households able to put their food waste forward to be used in this way. WRAP Cymru work with local authorities across Wales to increase food waste contribution for the anaerobic digester hubs. And, last year, one local authority saw food waste levels double as a result of the campaign, and the overall campaign approach has supported a drop in household food waste levels in Wales, to lower levels than anywhere else in the UK. Again, we’re leading on this. That’s a decrease of 12 per cent.

Cabinet Secretary, of course, I accept it’s the job of local authorities to encourage residents to recycle their food waste. But can I ask you, Cabinet Secretary, what considerations you’ve given to a national, Wales-wide campaign, to encourage people to think about the way they shop and plan their meals in regard to reducing food waste?

Well, I mentioned, in my answer to Vikki Howells, the Love Food Hate Waste app. I don’t know whether you’ve seen it, but it’s a new app that’s just been published. I’m kind of in two minds about it. It’s based on Tinder, so it’s sort of putting the two matches together, if you like. So, if you’ve got a potato left over on this day, and an egg left over on this day, how do you match them? But it’s very early days, so we’re having a look at how that’s going. But I suppose it’s innovative ways—it might appeal to younger people, as well. So, we’re going to see how that campaign is going. But I think that might make people, kind of, think more about their shopping habits.

Going back to anaerobic digestion, Cardiff council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council have had a joint operation to do this. I wondered what you thought of the take-up of this kind of scheme by local councils. How has that been so far, in Wales?

Well, anaerobic digestion is getting more popular, and we are seeing more. I’ve got one in my constituency—I think it was one of the first in Wales—and we certainly are seeing a few more. Natural Resources Wales are responsible for regulating them. You will be aware of some issues. Hefin David raised some issues around this, in business statement yesterday, I think. So, we do need to see more of this, but it does need to be regulated in an appropriate way.