Some of the UK’s biggest food retailers, manufacturers and hospitality players are joining forces to pledge to drive down food waste.
The pledge – which includes a goal to halve food waste by 2030 – will be signed by the likes of Nestlé, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose at the ‘Step Up To The Plate’ event in London today. Attendees are expected to agree to a number of commitments on measuring and reducing their own food waste and inspiring others to follow their lead.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Every year, millions of tonnes of good, nutritious food is thrown away. This is an environmental, economic and moral scandal, and I am determined to tackle it.
“I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge to deliver real change to stop good food going to waste.”
Ben Elliot, the government’s food waste tsar, added: “Businesses throw away food worth an estimated £5bn, and £15bn is wasted from our homes. The emissions this creates is the equivalent of every third car on the road. We simply must put an end to this.”
Around 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK every year, with 1.8 million tonnes coming from food manufacture, one million tonnes from the hospitality sector, 260,000 tonnes from retail, and the rest from households.
Businesses are expected to set their own targets to help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030.
The government also wants attendees to adopt the WRAP and IGD Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which is aimed at helping businesses measure, report and act on food waste.
Other initiatives include discounts on food sold after its ‘best before’ dates and smaller size portions at reduced prices.
While Tesco’s Chief Executive Dave Lewis welcomed the vow, he said a commitment from all UK food companies to publish their food waste data within the next 12 months should also be part of the deal.
Tesco will publish its latest food waste data in its annual report tomorrow. Lewis, who is also chairman of Champions 12.3, a global coalition of leaders dedicated to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal, added: “We welcome the UK Government’s focus in this area and see an opportunity to press even further to continue to lead the world in our efforts to tackle food waste.”
