Waste Strategy for England 2007 - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Contents


Memorandum by Tesco (Waste 76)

  We are committed to minimising the amount of food waste that we produce and in our supply chain. All of our stores measure and monitor food waste against specific targets, which allows them to identify problem areas and deal with them and allows us to help stores where food waste is a particular problem. We therefore perform regular code checks and rotation, proactively reduce products as they near their sell by date and have a dedicated training programme on managing waste for our fresh food managers.

  Our approach means that we are particularly efficient in minimising the amount of food waste from our stores. As a result, we have not been able to form a partnership with Fareshare or other similar charities to provide food for local organisations, as our stores do not provide enough food waste on a regular basis to make it viable. However, we continue to be in dialogue with Fareshare about other ways in which we might help.

  We perform quality assessments of products at our Distribution Centres on a range of issues to ensure that they meet the agreed quality standards. We are currently working with our suppliers to undertake a trial in our Doncaster Distribution Centre where products that we cannot transport to store are collected by Company Shop for use in their network of retail outlets in companies throughout the UK. As well as helping suppliers who do not otherwise have to pick up several tonnes of food from our distribution centres, we have raised nearly £30,000 for a range of charities, including Fareshare.

  We have recently announced a new approach to help customers manage the amount of food they buy while being able to take advantage of our offers. In a speech announcing our intention to become a zero-carbon store by 2050, Sir Terry Leahy, our Chief Executive also explained that we will shortly by launching "Buy One Get One Later" so that customers can pick up the free item in such deals at a later date when it suits them. Further information is enclosed separately. We are also a signatory to the Courtauld Commitment and we are supporting WRAP in meeting the targets, including on food waste.

  Our trial in Ilminster and Guildford was designed to understand whether there are further reductions we can make on packaging that are particularly important to customers. We have already reduced the weight of packaging by 15% since 2008 and currently have over 3,000 projects in place to deliver further reductions.

  Our findings from the trial, was that far less packaging was left behind than we were expecting, and when customers were asked what they would remove, most felt that actually the packaging that was present played an important role and removing it would cause negative impacts eg cooking instructions lost, food label information lost, protective qualities lost etc. While we are continuing to reduce packaging, we do not currently have plans to roll out the trial further.

News release... For immediate release: Friday 16 October 2009

TESCO INTRODUCES "BUY ONE GET ONE FREE—LATER" IN GLOBAL ZERO-CARBON PUSH

  Tesco today pledged to introduce "Buy One Get One Free—Later" and to help households lower their energy bills among a string of new measures to help consumers and suppliers reduce their carbon emissions.

  Customers using "Buy One Get One Free—Later" will be able to pick up their free product when they need it, helping to keep waste down. And they will be able to use a new complete home energy service from Tesco to get advice on insulation and renewable sources of energy in their homes, and to carry out the work needed.

  These latest initiatives continue Tesco's groundbreaking work to introduce clear low-carbon choices for the consumer, giving them the power to reduce their carbon footprints.[196]

  Speaking at the launch of a new report—Consumers, business and climate change published by Manchester University's Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI)[197],[198]—Tesco CEO, Sir Terry Leahy, warned that targets and technology alone will not achieve the low-carbon transition the world needs and that consumers must be part of the solution.

  Sir Terry was speaking alongside leaders of some of the World's most influential consumer businesses including Unilever, Coca-Cola, SC Johnson and Reckitt Benckiser, who together have today agreed to collaborate on helping consumers reduce emissions created by their products. Conservative leader David Cameron was the keynote speaker at the conference in London.

  In a clear message to world leaders before they gather in Copenhagen in December Sir Terry said:

    "It is only by releasing our potential—as people, as consumers, as users—that we can turn targets into reality. It will be a transition achieved not by some great invention or a grand act of Parliament, but through the millions of choices made by consumers every day all over the world.

    The answer to climate change lies in this and succeeding generations finding ways of living that are satisfying, rewarding, and exciting, but that do not degrade life for our children and our grandchildren.

    "People will always seek a better life. We now know that a better life must mean a low-carbon life. So we must take that universal desire for a better life, and that awareness of climate change, and build on the immense power of both. We must decouple economic growth from emissions growth by creating a second consumer revolution: building and fulfilling a demand to live a low-carbon life."

  Sir Terry committed Tesco to becoming a zero- carbon business by 2050 without purchasing offsets. He announced a raft of new initiatives to achieve this, to work collaboratively to reduce emissions in the supply chain and to help customers to reduce their own emissions.

  These include:

    — a challenge to achieve a 30% reduction by 2020 in the carbon impact of the products in Tesco's supply chain, starting in the UK;

    — spreading green systems and technology pioneered by Tesco businesses in developed countries to its operations in developing countries;

    — working with others, to identify and communicate clear ways in which customers can halve their personal and domestic carbon footprints by 2020;

    — the creation of a Tesco Home Energy and Emissions Service to provide a trusted one-stop solution for customers seeking to cut emissions and bills at home through energy saving and use of renewable energy;

    — extending green Clubcard points to encourage environmentally friendly, carbon-conscious purchasing; and

    — support for a universal accountancy standard for carbon in products and services which will provide a basis for carbon co-operation between businesses and promote carbon numeracy among consumers.

  Explaining why it was important for Tesco to take a lead on climate change Sir Terry concluded:

    "Of course, we are taking action because it is the right thing to do, because we don't want our children and grandchildren to face the chaos of climate change. A low-carbon strategy is also vital if we are to minimize the risk to our business: the physical threat of climate damage to our supply chains, the resulting economic damage; and the serious effects of rushed and inefficient regulation if we fail to act in time and governments are forced to take draconian action.

    But this is about more than just mitigating risk. For Tesco a revolution in green consumption is a fantastic opportunity: once and for all to break the link between consumption and emissions, and in doing so to satisfy a new consumer need, and grow our business. That is the goal of a sustainable business."







196   Tesco was the first major retailer to introduce carbon labelling on products. Currently there are labels on 114 everyday products with plans to work out the carbon footprint of 500 products by the end of the year. Tesco also introduced green Clubcard points earned by recycling carrier bags. In 2009 Tesco announced that they would trial the use of electric car recharging points in stores. Back

197   The Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI) was established at the University of Manchester in 2007 with £25 million of support from Tesco. Its purpose is to research solutions to help the move towards low-carbon consumption. Back

198   This is the first major conference of the SCI at which it will launch its report on the role of consumers and business in tackling climate change. The Rt Hon David Cameron MP will give the keynote speech. There will be a discussion with a panel of Chief Executives of major global businesses. Paul Polman of Unilever, Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola, Bart Becht of Reckitt Benckiser and Fisk Johnson of SC Johnson will be on the panel with Terry Leahy. Delegates will be invited to debate the issues with them. Also speaking will be David Nussbaum, CEO of WWF and international academic experts including Prof Robert Putnam, the Harvard-based political scientist and Prof Mohan Munasinghe, SCI Director General. Back


 
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