In a significant move, leading UK grocery brands urge the government for mandatory food waste reporting.
- Over 30 major supermarkets and brands, including Tesco and Nestlé, have signed a petition.
- The initiative is led by Too Good to Go and British Retail Consortium, targeting transparency in the food industry.
- The proposal supports the Labour Party’s goal of halving food waste by 2030.
- Signatories believe mandatory reporting will drive efficiency and waste reduction in the food sector.
More than 30 leading UK supermarkets and brands have come together to petition the government for mandatory food waste reporting. Among the signatories are industry giants such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Waitrose, as well as food brands like Nestlé and Yo! Sushi. This coalition aims to address the significant issue of food waste throughout the supply chain.
The letter, directed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), was spearheaded by Jamie Crummie, co-founder of online surplus food service Too Good to Go, in collaboration with the British Retail Consortium. The primary objective is to enforce transparency and accountability within the food manufacturing and retail sectors by mandating companies above a certain size to publicly report their food waste. However, the proposal currently exempts farmers from this requirement.
This initiative aligns with the Labour Party’s environmental targets, which include a commitment to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030. Steve Reed, the new Defra Secretary, has expressed his support for a ‘circular economy’ aimed at minimising waste across various sectors.
Jamie Crummie expressed enthusiasm about the Defra Secretary’s zero-waste economy goals, stating, “We are delighted to see the environment secretary set out the creation of a zero-waste economy as a priority.” He further highlighted the need for swift action in implementing mandatory food waste reporting, which he believes is crucial for ensuring transparency and holding companies accountable for their food waste practices.
In response to this growing concern over food waste, several major food retailers are making concerted efforts to curb waste in their operations. Tesco has recently opened a new facility designed to convert surplus food into animal feed as part of their waste reduction strategy. Similarly, Hellmann’s has introduced ‘Meal Reveal’, an AI-enabled tool aimed at helping households minimise food waste through innovative recipe suggestions.
The collective push from these industry leaders underscores the critical need for systemic changes to address food waste at the national level.
