Food trucks operating within the City of Bayswater must now use signage to ensure their customers throw rubbish in the correct bins, but one mobile food vendor believes the move will prove ineffective.
New guidelines for mobile food vendors which help cut red tape and address environmental awareness were endorsed by councilors at a meeting on Tuesday.
“Along the way I’ve received feedback from many food vendors who trade in our city which is why I’m confident this policy keeps things simple, provides fairness for all operators and strengthens our environmental commitments,” Cr Josh Eveson said.
Under the new guidelines, operators in the city will be forced to display signage asking their customers to dispose of their rubbish in the appropriate waste bin.
What The Flip owner Islam Bouyahia — who has been trading from Bardon Park for two months — told PerthNow this week he already encourages customers to put their rubbish in the corresponding bins but it has proved a sticking point.
“Even with signage, people are not really following the rules,” he said,
“We encourage our customers to try and break it down and put their rubbish in the right bins but unfortunately the majority are not capable of doing so.”
Mr Bouyahia said the new rule for food vendors to display signage for proper garbage disposal was “good for the general purpose of educating the customer”, but putting it into practice presented a “time-consuming” challenge for the small business owner.
“When we first implemented the three-bin system I ended up having to spend about half an hour to one hour everyday emptying my own bins and going through my customers’ food leftovers and packaging to put them in the right bin,” he said.
“No matter how much I label the bins, at the end of the day there will be food in the plastic one and paper in the plastic one — there’s not much you can do.”
Food truck operators must also use fully compostable serving ware including plates, bowls, food containers, cups, straws and cutlery under the City’s new guidelines.
This move is in line with the State Government’s recent ban on July 1 this year in which businesses are no longer allowed to supply disposable plastic utensils, foodware or cups as well as plastic bags and expanded polystyrene foodware and must use reusable alternatives.
The expression of interest requirement for mobile food vendors to trade at Crimea Park has also been cut.
An expression of interest process was first introduced in 2018 at Crimea Park to allow a limit of 12 mobile food vehicles to operate at any one time after the City recorded a demand for operation at the site.
But according to a City report, interest in operating at Crimea Park has “significantly dropped off” with no mobile food vendor applications received over the past year.
“The removal of the EOI process will significantly streamline the application process and reduce the amount of time it takes mobile food operators to submit an application,” Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said.
Locations where mobile food vendors can operate have also been expanded to 13 and businesses can also play music from their vans under the City’s new guidelines.
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