The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched a series of feasibility trials to encourage small- and medium-sized (SME) hospitality businesses to recycle food waste.

The trials – which will run until June – will investigate best practice for cafes, restaurants, pubs, hotels and takeaways to divert their food waste from landfill sites.

Bexley council will contribute to the scheme by working with local restaurants, cafes and takeaways to develop collection services for their food waste, while ECT Recycling will collect kitchen waste from those in the Bristol and Bath areas.

The Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry (CESHI) at Oxford Brookes University will also work with six hotels to trial onsite composting of their food waste using in-vessel technology.

Liz Morrish, SME recycling programme manager at WRAP, said: “These feasibility trials will give us a much better idea of what factors make a real difference and encourage these businesses to start recycling their food waste.”