Businesses in the UK have committed to drive down the country’s annual £20 billion food waste bill, equivalent to more than £300 per UK citizen.
Accordingly, all major retailers and 50 per cent of larger food businesses to target, measure, act, and report on food waste by September 2019.
The UK’s largest retailers, food producers, manufacturers, and hospitality and food service companies have committed to industry food waste reduction roadmap; developed by the government’s waste reduction body, Wrap, and the food and grocery charity IGD to reduce the issue of food waste.
As many as 90 organisations have begun the epic journey - taking a ‘farm to fork’ approach to commit to a ground-breaking food waste reduction roadmap to halve food waste.
The roadmap encompasses the entire supply chain from field to fork, and clearly shows the actions large businesses will take to address food waste both in their own operations and by working to support their suppliers. It also sets out how these businesses can engage with consumers to help reduce their food waste.
The roadmap has the support of the UK’s largest food trade bodies, businesses across the supply chain and Defra, Welsh and Scottish governments. Widespread adoption of target, measure and act is vital to achieve national policy objectives and targets on food waste reduction, including Courtauld 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP, said “Together, WRAP and IGD have mobilised industry leaders to create a bold sector-wide roadmap, showing clearly what UK businesses must do. This roadmap is hugely ambitious, and I’m delighted that the UK is the first country anywhere to set a nation-wide plan towards delivering its part in SDG 12.3.”
“There are many businesses working hard already, but many more need to focus on food waste. If the food sector follows this roadmap, it will significantly accelerate work to achieving both Courtauld 2025 and SDG12.3 targets. And I urge other companies to adopt the principles laid out in the roadmap and join the rest of the sector on this historic journey,” he added.
According to a statement by Wrap, 90 early adopters are supporting the food waste reduction roadmap. By September 2019, the first major milestone on the roadmap, the aim is to have 50 per cent of the UK’s largest 250 food businesses measuring, reporting and acting on food waste.
An aerial view of the British Steel Scunthorpe site on September 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
