The government’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is celebrating UK retailers’ commitment to reduce household food waste.
All the UK’s top grocery retailers have now signed the Coutauld Commitment, an industry-wide, food waste reduction objective, the first such move for the sector as a whole. The commitment is being delivered under WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which the body estimates will bring savings to UK consumers of more than £370 million, or almost 700,000 tonnes of CO2.
The Courtauld signatories have agreed to work together to help reduce the amount of food the nation’s householders throw away by 155,000 tonnes by 2010, against a 2008 baseline.
WRAP identified fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery products, dairy, meat and fish products as the highest source of household food waste and is targeting action at identifying solutions and examining how areas such as labelling, pack size range, storage advice and packaging designed to keep the food fresher for longer can all help to prevent household food waste.
WRAP ceo Liz Goodwin said: “This pledge signals a concerted and consistent approach by the grocery industry to reduce household food waste … We want to see packaging innovation and advice to help shoppers make positive product choices and make the best use of the food they buy, therefore reducing the amount of waste.”
Sainsbury’s has implemented new fresh produce storage guidance for customers both in store and on its website, in support of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste and is also running a Love Your Leftovers campaign with magazine Good Housekeeping offering menu ideas for using leftover food.
Marks & Spencer has also included advice for consumers on getting the best from the food they buy as part of its relaunched Plan A website.
And fellow Courtauld singnatories Asda and Tesco also have initiatives of their own. Tesco’s use of modified atmosphere packaging for grapes fits WRAPs objectives and Asda has responded to concerns over food waste by modifying its ‘multisave’ promotions on products with a short shelf life to span a range of products, for example “any 2 varieties” across citrus or “2 for £2” across prepared salads, potatoes and sweetcorn.
DEFRA environment minister Jane Kennedy said: “I warmly welcome this commitment, which will ensure that not only are supermarkets, brand leaders and food processors now working to reduce food waste, but it will also help their customers buy wisely and thus reduce the cost to them.”
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