Priti with Charlotte Percy, Sustainability Executive at Wiltshire Farm Foods, with an example of the plastic trays used in their closed loop recycling system.
Visiting Wiltshire Farm Foods site in Witham
Priti Patel MP recently visited the Wiltshire Farm Foods site within her Witham constituency. Priti toured the site, which employs 17 people, to see the business operations which provides a valuable service through delivery of thousands of meals to the elderly.
Wiltshire Farm Foods delivers its high-quality, award-winning prepared meals to more than 150,000 customers nationwide with an estimated 9,350 people over 75 living in the Witham constituency. Customers can choose from a range of delicious traditional favourite mail meals and popular desserts and lighter snacks as well as meals with extra dense calories for those with small appetites.
She was also shown crates of plastic trays which Wiltshire Farm Foods has collected from customers, and which under its trailblazing closed-loop recycling programme are sent for recycling into completely new trays.
Priti discussed with Charlotte Percy, Sustainability Executive, and John Bromfield, Retail Sales and Operations Manager at the Witham site, concerns about the impact that the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations may have on its closed-loop system.
The Government’s current proposals for legislation means the company could be affected by new charges which would ultimately impact on the consumer. Priti has raised concerns with Defra over its plans and is backing Wiltshire Farm Foods’ campaign to get the proposals changed.
Priti said: “Improving recycling rates and reducing waste is a priority and I was pleased to hear how Wiltshire Farm Foods is taking this responsibility seriously already. The company’s closed loop recycling system is making a positive difference and I am concerned that the Government’s plans could cause additional costs to be incurred and risk disrupting this model.
“Other businesses have also raised concerns over the EPR plans and I am in contact with Defra pressing for sensible reforms to be introduced so that businesses who are already doing the right thing and promoting reuse and recycling are not unfairly penalised.”