4 Tackling food waste
Reducing food
waste
32. According to WRAP, 15 million tonnes of food
are wasted each year, of which nine million tonnes is avoidable.[59]
Food wastage can occur at any stage of the food chain from farm
to fork. Half the UK's food waste (around seven million tonnes)
occurs in the home, with the average UK household throwing away
the equivalent of six meals every week at a cost of £250-£400
a year.[60] In total,
£12.5 billion of food bought by consumers is wasted each
year.[61] Some 22% of
the edible fresh produce bought by householders is not eaten.[62]
Retail and distribution operations produce only 3% of the UK's
food waste (0.4 million tonnes annually) with manufacturing generating
some 27% (4 million tonnes a year).[63]
Programmes such as those run by WRAP have driven reductions of
21% in avoidable household food waste since 2007.[64]
However, there is a need to decrease levels further, not least
to meet EU targets of reducing food waste by 30% by 2025 (compared
to 2007).[65] Since the
inquiry finished taking evidence, the EU Commission has published
a work programme for 2015 under which the circular economy proposals
which covered food waste have been withdrawn, pending revised
proposals to be produced in 2015.
33. Retailers told us that commercial pressures meant
they had developed effective distribution, storage and retail
operations so that there was very little wastage at these stages.
Tesco reported that it had reduced waste to less than 1% of products
in its stores and distribution centres.[66]
Morrisons also had low levels of such waste, at 0.3% of sales
value in its stores.[67]
Nonetheless, FareShare noted that even tiny percentages of waste
from food companies with large-scale systems could represent a
significant amount of food wasted.[68]
Retailers told us they were working with their suppliers to reduce
waste early in the supply chain. For example, Tesco cited its
advance commitment to purchase 80% of its suppliers' grapes to
give growers certainty their produce would be bought and told
us about its work to reduce the wastage of potatoes through a
range of measures including reviewing customer preferences when
making decisions on which varieties to order.[69]
34. Morrisons is one of many retailers and other
organisations supporting the Courtauld Commitment which has delivered
reductions in food waste over three phases to date.[70]
In parallel, the voluntary Hospitality and Food Service Agreement
is delivering improvements in that sector,[71]
including packaging reductions of 2.5%, food and packaging recycling
increases of 7%, and a 23% increase in food for redistribution.
However, the Sustainable Restaurant Association told us that half
a kilo of waste is generated from each restaurant meal with some
30% of the annual 600,000 tonnes of restaurant waste coming directly
from diners' plates. The Association argued for more widespread
practical approaches that enable customers to waste less, such
as the use of doggie bags.[72]
35. WRAP noted the importance of influencing consumer
choices and of the supply chain supporting optimum behaviours
through the way food is promoted, designed, packaged and labelled.[73]
The organisation had adopted a set of principles for helping consumers
to change behaviours including using real-life examples and making
advice clear, without over-simplifying it. Key moments of change
in people's lives, such as house moves or the departure of teenagers
for college, could be opportunities to shift behaviours. Underpinning
WRAP's approach was an overall aim to change culture such that
it is not seen as normal to waste food.[74]
36. Witnesses such as food critic Jay Rayner had
some specific suggestions for reducing retail food waste, such
as banning the sale of bagged fruit and vegetables in supermarkets,
or putting a levy on waste.[75]
The promotion by supermarkets of multi-buy deals such as 'buy
one get one free' offers has been highly criticised by many commentators.[76]
However, WRAP noted that there were now fewer such offers and
there was no clear evidence they were a key source of household
food waste.[77] Mark
Linehan from the Sustainable Restaurant Association referred to
approaches in the Netherlands where the second product of a multi-buy
deal could be obtained at a later date, enabling consumers to
have products with a greater shelf-life.[78]
37. The Government set out its views on waste reduction
in its response to an April 2014 House of Lords report into food
waste prevention.[79]
The response:
· noted Government support for a voluntary,
non-legislative approach such as that enshrined in the Courtauld
Commitment. Phase 3 of the Commitment is due to commence in 2016
and to run until 2025 with a focus on helping consumers and businesses;
· re-iterated a commitment to the waste
hierarchy of prevention first, with redistribution for human consumption
where possible next and then for animal feed (under strict conditions).
The Government supports the use of unavoidable food waste as a
feedstock for anaerobic digestion; and
· noted the Government's agreement that
consumers have a key role to play in reducing food waste. The
WRAP 'Love Food, Hate Waste' campaign has become a "recognised
brand" in providing advice to consumer, retailers and local
authorities.[80]
38. Despite progress on reducing waste, WRAP told
us that there was still a "lot more" that could be done.[81]
It considered the EU target of reducing food waste by 30% to be
"challenging" but achievable.[82]
This must be achieved against Defra cuts in WRAP funding from
£48.1 million in 2010-11,[83]
to £17.6 million in 2014-15. Funding for 2015-16 is anticipated
to be £15.5 million. WRAP has achieved charitable status,
which could allow it access to wider funding such as from trusts
and charities.[84] The
organisation highlighted that returns from its investment in waste
reduction are to the benefit of "individuals, local authorities,
businesses and the UK as a whole".[85]
The organisation's Chief Executive told us that every £1
of public money spent on programmes to reduce household food waste
generated £250 worth of savings in the home.[86]
Dr Goodwin said that while "clearly I could say we could
do more if I had more resources but there are also a lot of resources
being put in by others" including retailers as part of a
collective effort.[87]
39. The Minister highlighted WRAP's contribution
to waste reduction achievements such as its work on labelling
aimed at discouraging retailers from putting unnecessary date
labels on products.[88]
He noted that there had been progress such that by 2015 or 2016
household waste of food and its packaging would have reduced by
around 20% since 2007.[89]
40. Despite reductions in recent years, the UK
continues to waste significant volumes of food, and the amount
of edible food being disposed of remains unacceptably high. At
a time when global food systems are under pressure and the UK
faces its own food security challenges, this level of waste is
unacceptable economically, socially and environmentally. There
is no magic bullet for tackling this; rather measures must be
diligently applied across the food supply chain from producer
to consumer in order to achieve steady results.
41. We commend the work undertaken over the past
seven years by those such as the Waste and Resources Action Programme
(WRAP) to spur food waste reduction. Less waste in production,
processing and distribution delivers a more efficient food supply
chain and this benefits consumers. But there is still some way
to go, particularly in reducing household food waste since this
makes up half of all UK food waste.
42. It is essential that the Government provides
the Waste and Resources Action Programme with sufficient public
funding such that, alongside investment from other sources such
as trusts and charities, it has adequate resources to enable it
to maintain momentum in its food waste reduction programmes. This
makes good economic sense even in times of financial constraint,
since programmes to reduce food waste deliver both public and
private benefits beyond their costs.
59 Waste and Resources Action Programme (FS03) para
7 Back
60
Food Waste, Standard Note SN07045, House of Commons Library, December
2014 Back
61
Waste and Resources Action Programme (FS2 03) para 27 Back
62
Fresh Produce Consortium (FS2 06) para 14 Back
63
Food Waste, Standard Note SN07045, House of Commons Library, December
2014 Back
64
Waste and Resources Action Programme (FS03) para 29. WRAP defines
food waste as avoidable if the food could, at some point prior
to disposal, have been eaten Back
65
As above, para 41 Back
66
Tesco plc (FS2 04) Back
67
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc (FS2 01) Back
68
Q66 Back
69
Tesco plc (FS2 04) Back
70
The Courtauld Commitment is a voluntary agreement aimed at improving
resource efficiency and reducing waste within the UK grocery sector.
Phase one ran from 2005 to 2010, phase two ran from 2010 to 2012,
and phase three of the agreement runs to 2015. Between them, the
three phases aim to cut household food waste by 20%. See WRAP
information sheet, Courtauld Commitment, November 2013 Back
71
The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement is a voluntary agreement
to support the hospitality and food service sector in reducing
waste and recycling more between 2012 and 2015. It has over 200
signatories and supporters covering over 25% of the UK sector
by food and drink sales. Back
72
See Sustainable Restaurant Association webpages Back
73
Q91 Back
74
Q97 Back
75
Q25 Back
76
See for example Institution for Mechanical Engineers' written evidence
to House of Lords European Union Committee, 10th Report of Session
2013-14, Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention,
HL Paper 154 Back
77
Q102. See also para 18, Government response to: House of Lords
European Union Committee, 10th Report of Session 2013-14, Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention,
HL Paper 154 Back
78
Q25 Back
79
Government response to: House of Lords European Union Committee,
10th Report of Session 2013-14, Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention,
HL Paper 154 Back
80
Government response to: House of Lords European Union Committee,
10th Report of Session 2013-14, Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention,
HL Paper 154 Back
81
Q91 Back
82
Waste and Resources Action Programme (FS03) para 41 Back
83
WRAP, Update: WRAP budget, 21 December 2010 Back
84
Food Waste, Standard Note SN07045, House of Commons Library, December
2014 Back
85
Waste and Resources Action Programme (FS03) para 41 Back
86
Q86 Back
87
Q95 Back
88
Q210 Back
89
Q174 Back
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