Leading UK retailers urge companies to report food waste

A group of prominent UK businesses has said that food companies should be required to report the amount of food they waste as a way of reducing the huge amounts of edible foods wasted in the UK. About a Steve Reed, more than 30 food companies, including supermarkets, food producers and food processors, called for mandatory reporting on food waste.

Some argue that forcing companies face the reality of what they produce, and what happens with it, will encourage better behaviour. This includes more efficient processes and increased effort to reuse surpluses. Reed has repeatedly expressed his desire for a “circular” economy with less waste. The government’s goal is to reduce food waste in half by 2030. However, it has not yet set new measures for meeting this target. The Observer has been informed that the government is willing to place a requirement on companies to report waste.

Jamie Crummie, co-founder and director of Too Good to Go (an online service which allows restaurants and food retailers to advertise surplus food to consumers at a discounted price), drafted the letter to Reed along with the British Retail Consortium. He said mandatory reporting was a crucial first step. It would allow consumers, the government, and other businesses to compare how diligent or careless suppliers are in comparison to their peers.

He said that food waste was one of the largest contributors to climate change . In the UK, alone, we waste 10.7m tons of food each year. We are pleased to see that the environment secretary has made the creation of zero-waste an economic priority. We hope that, in line with this ambitious goal, and with more than 30 companies from the food industry, the mandatory reporting of food waste will be implemented quickly to ensure transparency and accountability.

Signed by the UK’s largest supermarkets including Tesco and Waitrose as well as BRC (which represents retailers), the letter was sent to the UK’s government. Nestle, Princes Innocent Drinks Yoplait, Yo! Sushi is also included. Signatories envisaged mandatory reporting not only for farmers but also for all companies above a certain scale in the food supply chain.

Food producers use new technologies such as AI, to improve their supply chain efficiency and reduce waste. They also use more traditional methods like donating edible surpluses to foodbanks.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated: “The amount we waste of food is a stain upon our country. We work with businesses to reduce food waste and ensure that food reaches those who are most in need. This includes assisting surplus food to redistribute to charities or others who can use it, and programmes to help citizens to reduce their food wastage.”

Signatories of the letter are working with MPs on raising awareness about this problem. Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bath and vice-chairperson of the all-party parliamentary environment group. She said, “The number of meals that is simply thrown out in the UK every week , is deeply worrying.” We need to change our throwaway culture to reduce food waste.

“That is why we work with the businesses to put in place the correct incentives to reduce waste and overconsumption.”