Political Watch Outs

There are a number of legislative changes on the political agenda which will impact the food and drink and hospitality industries, from Boris Johnson’s crackdown on obesity, to new rules and regulation for waste management.

We know there is a lot to juggle to ensure your business not only recovers from the pandemic, but continues to thrive for years to come.

During the Queen’s Speech on 11^th May, the Government introduced the Health and Care Bill which included confirmation that existing obesity strategy proposals are on track to become law. This includes a wholesale restriction on the advertising and promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) starting from April 2022. In particular, the plans include the Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021. This will require foodservice businesses employing more than 250 people to mark products with calorie information. The Government recently confirmed that calorie information will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, such as physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food.

Critics have highlighted the broad-brush approach to HFSS products and the lack of incentive for businesses to reformulate. However, based on the proposed timeline and current direction of travel, it is recommended that the sector prepares now for how these new restrictions will impact their business.

On the environment front, last year saw the ban on single use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds come into force, while a new Plastic Packaging Tax will take effect from 1^st April 2022. In 2021, we’ve had the return of the Environment Bill to Parliament, which will establish the Office for Environmental Protection, an independent regulator set up to hold the Government to account on its ‘green agenda’. The Bill covers areas including waste and resource efficiency, air quality, water, nature and biodiversity. It includes a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) system for packaging waste, the implementation of a deposit return scheme (DRS) for England, means to further “clamp down” on single use plastic and powers to “deliver consistent and frequent recycling collections across England”. Expected to pass into law in the Autumn, this will impact food and drink supply chains throughout the UK, from how goods are packaged, to how all types of waste including food waste is disposed of.

All this comes in the build up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021. It is the biggest climate summit the UK has ever hosted. All eyes will be on the UK Government to see what they can do to encourage progress on the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Government is still looking for support from businesses to help pull this off, including sponsorship and providing value in kind.

At BRITA, we are passionate about supporting our customers to navigate the changing political landscape and providing innovative solutions to sustainability and business challenges. We also continue to work closely with a number of charity partners to trial new initiatives and undertake research to help businesses get on the front foot with their customers.

Political ‘watch outs’ coming down the track

There are a number of legislative changes on the political agenda which will impact the food and drink and hospitality industries, from Boris Johnson’s crackdown on obesity, to new rules and regulation for waste management.

Related content

News & Stories home

69% of Britons are willing to change their behaviour to manage a global crisis such as environmental threat

Our Work With Keep Britain Tidy to Reduce Household Waste