Waste and how to control surplus materials

The standards

This article is written to meet the following sections of the Standards:

The requirements

Waste handling procedures

Waste procedures must be in place and trained out to all relevant personnel, including those at waste intake, waste handling personnel and waste handling drivers. They must include:

• Details of staff responsibilities;
• emptying of waste containers at a set frequency;
• segregation of waste;
• isolation of waste that doesn’t meet specification;
• the types of materials that can be handled by drivers and any exceptions;
• segregation controls when transporting waste, product and its packaging (including returns);
• what to do in the event of a spillage, including the cleaning procedures;
• cleaning requirements for vehicles before their re-use for transporting product.

A risk assessment must be in place for removal of waste in open product areas. The assessment must consider:

• The contamination risks involved.
• The route of removal
• The equipment to be used.
• When the waste is to be removed.

Waste handling areas

Waste facilities must be managed to minimise the risk of contamination of product, including:

• Identification of storage areas to ensure waste is collected only in designated areas;
• segregation of the area from product areas;
• facilities which are designed for ease of cleaning;
• keeping facilities well maintained;
• keeping external doors closed;
• consideration to the implication of such facilities with regards to pest control;
• cleaning procedures, including cleaning following a spill;
• spillages must be removed as quickly as practical (at least daily);
• waste leaking from compactors, must be cleared up as they occur.

Waste containers

External waste collection containers must be managed to minimise risk, including:

• Clear identification that it’s a waste container;
• designed for ease of use and effective cleaning;
• well maintained to allow cleaning and, where required, disinfected;
• emptied at appropriate frequencies;
• kept closed so not to attract pests;
• be adequately proofed.

Haulier waste handling

Where waste is carried in vehicles the types of acceptable waste materials must be specified and any exceptions. Transport controls must be in place including:

• The risk of product contamination, must be risk assessed;
• suitable waste segregation must be in place to prevent contamination of product and its packaging;
• segregation must be defined through physical barriers or floor markings;
• vehicles must be suitably cleaned before re-use for transporting products.

When the waste arrives at site it must be suitably segregated from product.

The procedure for  waste handling must be available to the driver at all times (e.g. in a handbook kept in the vehicle).

Environmental controls

Any rework, biproduct, or waste that can be harmful to the environment, must be managed so that it is not accidently released into the environment.

Specifications    “Where customer or supplier specifications exist for the waste materials (e.g. levels of purity of waste materials), there shall be processes in place to ensure these are achieved.

Repurposing branded product

Where permitted by customers, good surplus product may be sold to other customers.  Product must meet customer requirements for surplus product, such as removal of branded information.

Where customer branded products which do not meet specification, but meet legal requirements and are fit for human consumption, they may be sold to staff or passed on to charities with the prior consent of the customer.

There must be a procedure in place to ensure that product is fit for human consumption and that it does meet legal requirements. The procedure must include responsibilities and who has authorisation to release the product.

Disposal of branded product

Substandard trademarked materials and equipment must be rendered unusable through a destructive process, to:

• prevent counterfeiting
• ensure that they are not sold to the public
• ensure that they do not re-enter the supply chain

Where the trademarked materials or equipment is rendered unusable by a contractor, they must be approved through the supplier approval system, to ensure that they employ the required controls.

Records of the disposal of trademarked materials must be retained and include the quantity for traceability purposes.

Where required by the customer, the requirements for disposal must be defined in the customer contract.

Animal feed

Product intended for animal feed must be:

• segregated from waste
• protected from contamination during storage
• managed in accordance with relevant legislative requirements
• produced in accordance with a certification scheme where required
• handled by an animal feed contractor who is appropriately licensed

Licenses

Removal of waste must be carried out by licensed contractors where required by law and records of removal must be retained. Where required by law, waste must be categorised based on the intended means of disposal (such as recycling), and sorted, segregated and collected in appropriate designated waste containers. Where waste is governed by legal requirements, the legislation must be understood. There must be a process in place to ensure that the site is kept up to date with legal requirements.

BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9

There’s a new clause (4.12.3) which now requires a risk assessment to be completed for handling of waste. The risk assessment must establish the controls needed to manage the identified risks.