Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill

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Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
Vision 2020: UK roadmap
to zero food waste to landfill
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                        5

Contents                                                    It is a great privilege to share with you our
                                                            ‘Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste
5    Introduction
6    Foreword                                               to landfill’. In February 2011, we launched
     Philip Simpson, ReFood
     Sue Riddlestone OBE, BioRegional                       our manifesto entitled ‘Vision 2020: The
7    Executive summary
                                                            future of the food waste recycling sector’,
   Section 1 - The issue of food waste
10 Food waste – setting the UK and global scene             which set out our ambition to eradicate
12 The UK now and in 2020
14 Making the transition from food waste to food resource   food waste from landfill by the end of the
     Section 2 - Food supply chain industry sectors         decade. Inspired by the debate generated
20   Understanding food waste in the supply chain
23   Agriculture                                            by that first report, we brought together key
26   Food and drink manufacturing
30   Food distribution                                      industry stakeholders as the Vision 2020
34   Grocery retail
38   Catering and hospitality sector                        Visionary Panel, chaired by former Secretary
44   Households
                                                            of State for the Environment Lord Deben, to
     Section 3 - Solutions and summary
50   Generating value from food waste                       help shape a viable roadmap to turn this
53   Solutions for surplus food
54   Solutions for unavoidable food waste                   exciting vision into reality. This report is the
58   Conclusion
60   Glossary                                               culmination of that work.
61   Appendix – Food waste facts

                                                            We would like to thank the following            We are also extremely grateful to the many
                                                            organisations for the insight and information   other reports and organisations that we
                                                            they provided to the panel:                     have drawn on for supporting material,
                                                                                                            many of whom are referenced in this report.
                                                            •	The Chartered Institute of Waste             We also want to show our appreciation to
                                                               Management (CIWM)                            BioRegional, an entrepreneurial charity that
                                                            •	Food Chain and Biomass Renewables            promotes sustainable businesses through
                                                               Association (Fabra)                          its One Planet Living philosophy, for its help
                                                            • The Institute of Hospitality (IoH)            in finalising the report and shaping the
                                                            •	The Local Authority Advisory Committee       practical and achievable recommendations
                                                               (LARAC)                                      to ensure we treat food waste as a valuable
                                                            •	London Thames Gateway Development            resource in the future.
                                                               Partnership
                                                            • Unilever
                                                            •	The Waste and Resources Action
                                                               Programme (WRAP)

                                                                                                            TO DATE, OVER 100 ORGANISATIONS,
                                                                                                            FROM UNIVERSITIES TO MICHELIN-
                                                                                                            STARRED RESTAURANTS, HAVE SIGNED
                                                                                                            UP TO THE VISION 2020 AMBITION.
                                                                                                            TO FIND OUT HOW TO JOIN THEM,
                                                                                                            VISIT WWW.VISION2020.INFO

                                                                                                            Part of SARIA and founders of Vision 2020
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                    7

Foreword                                  Foreword                                  Executive summary
Philip Simpson                            Sue Riddlestone OBE                       In the UK, we throw away some 14.8m tonnes
ReFood                                    BioRegional                               of food every year throughout the supply
                                                                                    chain. This report acknowledges food waste
                                                                                    as both an issue and a valuable resource.
Welcome to our Vision 2020 report         BioRegional is delighted to lend its
which sets out a UK roadmap for           support to Vision 2020, and warmly        It aims to act as a roadmap to encourage
achieving zero food waste to landfill     welcomes the proposals set out in
by 2020. Consulting far and wide on       this report.                              behavioural change at all levels, within
the issue of food waste, we have
been impressed by how much the            Nearly 20 years ago, I established        both business and society, and to set the
diverse organisations, and indeed         BioRegional together with Pooran
many businesses, share our passion        Desai, to develop solutions that would    framework for a food waste-free future.
for dealing more effectively with this    allow us to meet more of our needs
critical issue.                           from local, renewable resources. We
                                                                                    The recommendations presented               We would like to see Government             Failure to take a cohesive approach
                                          want people to live a high quality of
                                                                                    in our report are underpinned by a          and industry take a more consistent         to food waste is likely to lead to
Our message is clear; food waste is a     life within a fair share of the earth’s
                                                                                    strong environmental and economic           and holistic approach to waste              fragmented action. This, in turn,
valuable resource that should never       resources. We call this One Planet
                                                                                    case for reducing food waste, with          in the UK - one that maximises its          could result in solutions that will
end up in landfill sites. Everyone        Living. Not only do we now have many
                                                                                    the potential to deliver the following      potential as a resource. As the biggest     consign valuable resources to
from the food producer, through to        more of the tools that we need to
                                                                                    annual benefits:                            contaminant in the waste stream,            incineration, potentially cause
the retailer, the restaurant and the      reduce our impacts and achieve One
                                                                                                                                food waste consigns millions of tonnes      environmental damage and represent
householder can play their part in        Planet Living, we also have an even
                                                                                    •	Save over £17bn by reducing food         and billions of pounds of valuable          a lost opportunity to develop a more
ensuring that we take full advantage      better understanding of the issues.
                                                                                       wasted by households, businesses         resources to landfill or incineration       integrated infrastructure in the UK to
of its considerable potential, by
                                                                                       and the public sector.                   each year. Consequently, this               reprocess and recycle all waste.
ensuring we re-use, recycle and           Achieving zero food waste to landfill
                                                                                                                                document underlines the central role
recover every nutrient and kilowatt of    within the next seven years is a big      •	Prevent 27m tonnes of greenhouse
                                                                                                                                that removing food from our waste
energy it has to offer.                   challenge and we will need the               gas (GHG) from entering the
                                                                                                                                will play in delivering cost efficiencies
                                          support and actions of individuals,          atmosphere.
By separating and dealing with food       businesses small and large and
                                                                                                                                and better environmental outcomes.          FOOD WASTE IS A
                                                                                    •	Return over 1.3m tonnes of valuable      In order to achieve zero food waste
waste effectively, we can unlock all of   by Government if this vision is to be
                                                                                       nutrients to the soil.                   to landfill, the report’s principal
                                                                                                                                                                            VALUABLE RESOURCE
its value while also removing it as a     realised.
contaminant to other waste streams.
                                                                                                                                recommendations are:                        THAT SHOULD NEVER END
                                                                                    •	Generate over 1Twh electricity,
This will ensure high-quality,            However, the case for change is
                                                                                       enough to power over 600,000             •	A clear timetable for the phased
                                                                                                                                                                            UP IN LANDFILL SITES
commercially-viable, recyclable           compelling. We will save billions of
                                                                                       homes.1                                     introduction of a ban on food
materials across the board, helping       pounds. We will prevent millions of
                                                                                                                                   waste to landfill to come into full
to return billions of pounds to the       tonnes of greenhouse gases from
                                                                                    The challenges of dealing with food            force by 2020, allowing industry the
UK economy.                               entering our atmosphere. Crucially, we
                                                                                    waste are complex but this should not          time to finance and develop the
                                          will ensure that food is treated as a
                                                                                    hold back change. With clear direction,        optimum collection and processing
We believe this document sets out         precious resource.
                                                                                    we can create opportunities that               infrastructure.
a clear and realistic framework for
                                                                                    will drive the positive environmental,
positive change to happen by 2020.        This report provides a platform for                                                   •	Mandatory separate collections
                                                                                    economic and social outcomes, for the
We look forward to playing our part       change, by identifying where food                                                        of food waste from homes and
                                                                                    greater good.
and hope that you too will be inspired    waste arises, sharing success stories                                                    businesses, with an outcome that
to join the Vision 2020 campaign.         and making firm recommendations                                                          optimises its value to provide
                                                                                    The report highlights:
                                          about how further improvements can                                                       energy, nutrients for agriculture
Thank you.                                be made. It paints a picture of a world                                                  and preferably heat.
                                                                                    •	Where and why food waste is
                                          in which food is never ‘waste’.
                                                                                       happening at each stage of the UK        •	Greater collaboration at every
                                                                                       supply chain.                               stage of the supply chain and
                                          I very much look forward to working
                                                                                                                                   between key stakeholders to
                                          with you to eradicate food waste from
                                                                                    •	What actions are being taken to             accelerate the adoption of best
                                          landfill.
                                                                                       tackle food waste in each sector.           practice, improve waste prevention,
                                                                                                                                   create efficiencies and maximise
                                                                                     •	What more can be done in the               the value of food waste as a
                                                                                        future.                                    resource.
                                                                                                                                •	The integration of food waste
                                                                                                                                   education into school, college and
                                                                                                                                   professional training programmes
                                                                                                                                   and increased support for WRAP’s
                                                                                                                                   ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ initiative.

                                                                                    1 See appendix – food waste facts
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
Section 1

The issue of food waste
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                                                       11

                                                  Food waste is a global
Food waste –
                                                                                                                   At a global level, it is widely                                  and 6.2bn litres of water.8 Around 40%
                                                                                                                   acknowledged that we are entering                                of this food waste ends up in landfill9
                                                  concern. The United                                              a period of resource scarcity – where                            where it produces harmful methane
                                                  Nations, the EU and, closer                                      the cost of available resources is                               that has a Global Warming Potential

Setting the UK
                                                                                                                   increasing and demand from an                                    (GWP) 21 times greater than carbon
                                                  to home, WRAP are among                                          expanding global middle class,                                   dioxide.
                                                  many organisations across                                        combined with population growth and

and global scene
                                                                                                                   climatic changes, are putting massive                            The UK is now at a crossroads and it is
                                                  the public, charitable and                                       pressure on food, water, mineral and                             more important than ever before that
                                                  private sectors that have                                        energy resources.2                                               we address the issue of food waste
                                                                                                                                                                                    correctly. As the population continues
                                                  prioritised its reduction over                                   Despite these rising global pressures                            to increase and more pressure is
                                                  the coming years.                                                on food production, it is estimated that                         placed on global food production, we
                                                                                                                   50% of all food produced on the planet                           have not just a moral obligation but
                                                                                                                   never reaches its intended human                                 also an absolute need to address the
                                                                                                                   stomach.3 As a result some 550bn cubic                           issue. This applies both to reducing
                                                                                                                   metres of water are wasted globally                              food waste, as well as better utilising it
                                                                                                                   in growing crops that never reach the                            where it is unavoidably produced.
                                                                                                                   consumer.4 These statistics highlight
                                                                                                                   that when we waste food, we also
                                                                                                                   waste all of the land, nutrient, water
                                                                                                                   and energy resources that went into
                                                                                                                                                                                    AS THE POPULATION
                                                                                                                   producing it.                                                    CONTINUES TO INCREASE
                                                                                                                   An increase in demand, combined with
                                                                                                                                                                                    AND MORE PRESSURE
                                                                                                                   pressure on food production, led to                              IS PLACED ON GLOBAL
                                                                                                                   price spikes in 2008 and 2011.5 Rising
                                                                                                                   food bills have forced more and more
                                                                                                                                                                                    FOOD PRODUCTION, WE
                                                                                                                   people into food poverty, not just                               HAVE NOT JUST A MORAL
                                                                                                                   overseas but also in the UK. Indeed,
                                                                                                                   the food bank charity The Trussell Trust
                                                                                                                                                                                    OBLIGATION BUT AN
                                                                                                                   reports that the number of people                                ABSOLUTE NEED TO
                                                                                                                   turning to it for emergency food in the
                                                                                                                   UK increased by 170% to almost 350,000
                                                                                                                                                                                    ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF
                                                                                                                   people in 2012/2013.6 On a social level, it                      FOOD WASTE
                                                                                                                   is increasingly difficult to reconcile food
                                                                                                                   waste with increasing food poverty.

                                                                                                                   Recently, the UK’s International
                                                                                                                   Development Committee pointed out
                                                                                                                   that we are never more than a few
                                                                                                                   days from a significant food shortage,
                                                                                                                   yet it is a resource we all too often take
                                                                                                                   for granted.7 In the UK, we produce
                                                                                                                   approximately 14.8m tonnes of food
                                                                                                                   waste every year, which accounts
                                                                                                                   for over 20m tonnes of GHG emissions

                      OF ALL FOOD PRODUCED ON
                   THE PLANET NEVER REACHES ITS
                     INTENDED HUMAN STOMACH.

                                                  2 McKinsey 2011: Resource Revolution: Meeting the World’s Energy, Materials, Food and Water Needs 3 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) 2013: Global Food: Waste
                                                  Not, Want Not 4 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) 2013: Global Food: Waste Not, Want Not 5 Food and Agriculture Organisation 2011: World Food Situation
                                                  6 The Trussell Trust statistics April 2013 7 International Development Committee (IDC) report 2013: Global Food Security 8 WRAP 2011: Consumer Food Waste Prevention Facts
                                                  9 Defra 2011: Government Review of Waste Policy in England
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                              13

The UK now...                                                                             ...and in 2020
When Vision 2020 was first launched in early 2011,                                        Thanks to a body of research principally funded
there was an absence of available statistics on                                           by WRAP since then, the picture is clearer and
food waste in the UK. WRAP’s 2008 report entitled                                         the size of the benefits more easily determined.
‘The Food We Waste’ estimated that 6.7m tonnes of                                         This is what the UK could look like in 2020 if we
food waste were generated by households every                                             achieve zero food waste to landfill.
year, but elsewhere it was largely guesswork.

                            14.8m                        40%
                                                                                                                                    GREENHOUSE GAS
                                                                                          1.1TWh
                                                                                                         OVER                                                           OVER

                                                                                                                                       EMISSIONS                   1.3m
                      TONNES OF FOOD                    OF FOOD
                                                                                                                                                REDUCED BY
                                                                                                                                                                TONNES OF
                                                                                             OF ENERGY                                          27m              VALUABLE NUTRIENTS
                      WASTE PRODUCED                 WASTE ENDS UP                           PRODUCED                                         TONNES
                                                                                                                                                                RETURNED TO THE SOIL
                                                                                                                                                                     PER ANNUM
                              PER YEAR IN THE UK      IN LANDFILL

                                                                                      £3.7bn                                                   £12bn                £2bn

                              30%
                                                        LANDFILL PRODUCES
                                                       HARMFUL METHANE WITH
                                                                                                   POTENTIAL                                   SAVED               SAVED
                                                                                                 SAVINGS IN THE                               BY HOUSEHOLDERS        BY UK PLC
                                                     GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
                                                                                                                                                                    (RETAILERS,
                                                                                                  PUBLIC
                       OF UK VEGETABLE                  21 TIMES                                  SECTOR
                                                                                                                                                                  MANUFACTURERS
                                                                                                                                                                   and CATERERS)
                          CROPS ARE                     GREATER
                        NOT HARVESTED                   THAN CO2
Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                          15

                                                              A significant change in the waste industry over the past                             Food resource
                                                              few years has been the shift in mindset from waste                                   and waste flows
                                                              to resource. Central to this shift is the waste hierarchy
                                                              and landfill tax, which push waste materials higher
                                                              up the value chain by increasing the cost of landfill
                                                              and placing a greater importance on the principles of
                                                              reduce, re-use, recycle and recover.                                                                                                                                                             DISPOSAL

                                                              The recycling of paper, plastics, glass   Another concept that supports treating
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ducts
                                                              and metals is now, for many, second       food waste as a resource is the circular                                                              -pro od
                                                                                                                                                                                                          . co  et fo                        FOOD & DRINK
                                                              nature. However, this enthusiasm for      economy. The circular economy is                                                               inc for p                             MANUFACTURE
                                                              recycling has not extended to food        an approach advocated by the Ellen
                                                              waste and it is estimated that almost     MacArthur Foundation and supported
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ed
                                                              six million tonnes of food end up         by major companies such as Nike,                                                                                   al fe
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Anim
                                                              in landfill each year.10 This is a        Kingfisher Group, Unilever and Marks                                                                                          g
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   din
                                                              considerable waste of resources,          & Spencer.                                                             AGRICULTURE                                    sprea
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Land
                                                              when one considers the number of
                                                              opportunities available to capture        Instead of our current linear economy,
                                                              food waste and put it to better use.      one where people design products,
                                                                                                        draw on resources to make them,
                                                                                                        use the products and then discard
                                                                                                        them, the circular economy takes the                                                                                                                           FOOD
                                                                                                        resources in those unwanted products                                     Nutrients                                                                         DISTRIBUTION &

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     cling
                                                                                                        and puts them into manufacturing                                         back to soil                                                                      GROCERY RETAIL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Recy
                                                                                                        new things. The change goes right
                                                                                                        up the supply chain so that products
                                                                                                        are designed to be dismantled easily,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ion
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          g
                                                                                                        enabling components to be re-used                                                                                                              lin

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             istribut
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           DISPOSAL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   c
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 cy
                                                                                                        or recycled.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Re

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               red
                                                                                                                                                                  ANAEROBIC

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          inc.
                                                                                                                                                                 DIGESTION &

Making the transition
                                                                                                                                                                 COMPOSTING

from food waste to
food resource
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              CONSUMER

                                                                                                                                                       Renewable
                                                                                                                                                     energy produced                                                                                                                   DISPOSAL
                                                                                                                                                                                                                COLLECTION

                                                                                                                                                                                             DISPOSAL

10 Defra 2011: Government Review of Waste Policy in England                                                                                        Based upon WRAP diagram Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum, 21st May 2013
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                            17

         The food waste hierarchy                       Food waste needs to fit within this                           Where unavoidable food waste occurs,

                    1
                                                        more sustainable way of thinking.                             Defra puts anaerobic digestion (AD) as
                                                        The food waste hierarchy is one                               the most desirable disposal option.11
                                                        such model, which is supported by                             This is because it is an efficient way
                    REDUCE                              a number of organisations, notably                            to turn potential GHG into energy and
                                                        WRAP, The London Food Board and                               heat and also produces high-quality
                  Avoid generating                      Feeding the 5000. Like the waste                              organic digestate that can be used to
                    food waste                          hierarchy it favours solutions with                           fertilise agricultural land. Composting,
                                                        more desirable environmental and                              too, can ensure the nutrient value of

                    2
                                                        economic outcomes. It draws an                                food waste is captured.
                                                        important distinction between surplus
                                                        food, which can be used to feed                               There is a variety of routes for food
                FEED PEOPLE                             humans or animals, and food waste                             waste, depending on whether it is
                  IN NEED                               that can be further processed to
                                                        return nutrients to the soil, extract
                                                                                                                      surplus or unavoidable in nature
                                                                                                                      and these are discussed in section
               Donate extra food to                     energy and generate heat.                                     3 – Generating value from food waste
                  food banks, soup                                                                                    (see page 50). Some of these routes
                                                        When it comes to surplus food fit                             have been in existence for well over 100

                    3
               kitchens and shelters
                                                        for human consumption, many                                   years. Yet it is clear from the volume of
                                                        food producers and supermarkets                               food waste that ends up in landfill or
                                                        are already working with food                                 incinerators that much of the resource
                     FEED                               redistribution initiatives such as food                       value in it has, for too long, been lost.
                  LIVESTOCK                             banks, managed by the Trussell Trust,
                                                        FareShare and other charities to                              Increasing the amount of food waste
              Surplus food unsuitable                   ensure it reaches those in need.                              that is recovered and recycled is
              for human consumption                                                                                   fundamental to achieving zero waste

                    4
              supplied as animal feed                   Surplus food used to feed animals is                          to landfill.
                                                        already governed by strict regulations.
                                                        In addition, safety and security
         ANAEROBIC DIGESTION                            standards in the supply chain
                                                        ensure that animal by-products                                                      IT IS CLEAR FROM THE VOLUME
              Unavoidable food waste                    (ABP) destined for pet food meet the
               converted to produce                     exacting standards required for
                                                                                                                                            OF FOOD WASTE THAT ENDS UP
              bio-fertiliser and energy                 animal consumption.                                                                 IN LANDFILL OR INCINERATORS

                    5
                                                                                                                                            THAT MUCH OF THE RESOURCE
                                                                                                                                            VALUE IN IT HAS, FOR TOO LONG,
                   COMPOST                                                                                                                  BEEN LOST
             Unavoidable food waste
          converted to produce compost

                    6
                  LANDFILL/
                INCINERATION
                   Last resort to
                     disposal

LAST RESORT                               LAST RESORT

                                                        11 Defra 2011: Government Review of Waste Policy in England
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill   19

Section 2

Food supply chain
industry sectors
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill   21

Understanding food
waste in the supply chain
Fundamental to the ambition of driving food waste
away from landfill is an understanding of where
and why food waste is generated. The reality is that
food waste occurs at every stage of the food supply
chain, from farm to fork and beyond. The reasons for
food waste are numerous and often sector-specific
but wherever it happens it carries a cost. Tackling it
doesn’t just make environmental sense; it makes sound
commercial sense as well.

Here, we look at each of the sectors    We provide case studies and practical
in the food supply chain to provide     recommendations that are designed to
an introduction to where and why        put organisations large and small, as
food waste is generated. We highlight   well as individuals, firmly on the road to
the positive action that is already     achieving zero food waste to landfill.
being taken to overcome it and make
recommendations on how each part of
the process can be improved.

                                                      FROM FARM
                                                       TO FORK

   Agriculture           Food & Drink             Food                 Grocery Retail   Catering &    Households
                        Manufacturing          Distribution                             Hospitality
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                                                                   23

                                                                 Agriculture

                                                                 There are more than 9m hectares of agricultural land
                                                                 in the UK, of which 4.9m hectares are arable and the
                                                                 remainder livestock.12 Employing more than 300,000
                                                                 people, the agriculture industry produces 59% of the UK’s
                                                                 food needs, with the remaining 41% imported, meaning
                                                                 the cost, quality and availability of our food is influenced
                                                                 by many factors, from both Europe and further afield.13

                                                                 How food waste is dealt with in the                              planning in the food supply chain also
                                                                 agricultural sector largely depends                              leads to surplus crops being grown.
                                                                 on whether it is generated by livestock                          What happens to this crop waste is
                                                                 or by arable farming.                                            less clear but some falls into the
                                                                                                                                  surplus food category and will be used
                                                                 Livestock                                                        in the manufacture of foodstuffs such
                                                                 Livestock farming waste principally                              as pies and soups, or used for animal
                                                                 falls into two categories: manures/                              feed. If no outlet can be found, it is
                                                                 slurries and ABPs. Both wastes are                               usually ploughed back into the land.
                                                                 unavoidable and already have well-                               Anecdotally, it is believed that very little
                                                                 established outlets. Most slurries are                           would be disposed to landfill in the UK
                                                                 returned to land but can contribute                              due to the high cost of transport and
                                                                 significantly to methane generation                              landfill tax.
                                                                 through their storage. A report in
                                                                 Sweden revealed that stored manures                              Barriers in agriculture
                                                                 were responsible for 14% of overall GHG                          While AD has been shown to be an
                                                                 emissions from Swedish agriculture.14                            effective means of treating slurries,
                                                                                                                                  capturing biogas and generating
                                                                 Currently, ABPs are banned from                                  heat, capital cost is often a barrier.
                                                                 landfill throughout the EU under the                             Furthermore, according to the
                                                                 Animal By-Products Regulations                                   Renewable Energy Association,16
                                                                 (ABPR) and their processing is                                   (REA) new planning guidance for
                                                                 therefore handled by a long-standing                             renewable energy17 could make it
                                                                 and efficient market. These industries                           more difficult to develop waste
                                                                 turn ABPs into a variety of useful                               treatment sites in the green belt
                                                                 products such as edible fats, hides for                          for organics recycling and AD.
                                                                 leather, pet food ingredients, biodiesel
                                                                 and biofuels.                                                    Moving crop waste further up the
                                                                                                                                  food waste hierarchy can also be
                                                                 Arable                                                           challenging, especially for perishables
                                                                 It is reported that as much as 30% of                            such as fruit and vegetables. It is often
                                                                 UK vegetable crops are not harvested,                            necessary to dry produce to make it
                                                                 due to them failing to meet exacting                             suitable for modern animal feed supply
                                                                 standards based on their physical                                chains, which can make this more
                                                                 appearance.15 Poor forecasting and                               costly than ploughing the material

12 Defra 2013: Farming statistics – final crop areas and cattle, sheep and pig populations as at June 2013, England 13 Defra: Trends in UK food self-sufficiency 1960 – 2010 14 Rodhe, Acue &
Nordberg, 2009 15 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) 2013: Global Food: Waste Not, Want Not 16 Renewable Energy Association press release, July 2013: New renewable planning
guidance lacking in detail and clarity 17 Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) July 2013: Planning Practice Guidance for renewable and low carbon energy
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                   25

                       back into the land to return nutrients     redistribution charities to recover
                       to the soil. There are also logistical     unwanted crops from fields for
                       challenges to moving crop waste, as        human consumption.
                       fruits and vegetables are traditionally
                       grown in central, eastern and southern     Trade organisations are also running
                       regions of the UK, while livestock is      initiatives that support moving
                       reared in the north and west. This         agricultural waste further up the
                       means that transporting one to feed        hierarchy. On the crop side of the
                       the other adds cost and time.              industry, the Potato Council, in its own
    AS MUCH AS                                                    ‘war on waste’, is addressing issues
                       Food manufacturers or livestock            throughout the process from planning
                       farmers also require certainty of          and improved growing mediums,
                       supply and price and so relying on         through to crop processing and
                       agricultural food surpluses can be         storage. Other sectors may follow
                       too ‘hit and miss’, while livestock        its lead.
                       farmers require certain nutrients and
                       fats in their feed which may not be        With regards to livestock, the
                       met consistently enough by farm-           Foodchain & Biomass Renewables
 OF ALL UK VEGETABLE   generated surplus food.                    Association (FABRA) has introduced
    CROPS ARE NOT                                                 online training modules to educate
                       Is anything changing?
  HARVESTED, DUE TO    The Institute for Grocery Distribution
                                                                  abattoir staff on the relevant
                                                                  legislation and ways to maximise the
THEM FAILING TO MEET   (IGD), WRAP and others have identified     value from products by minimising the
EXACTING STANDARDS     closer collaboration up and down the       downgrading of ABPs. Such a training
                       supply chain as fundamental to driving     initiative is one that could be replicated
   BASED ON THEIR      up efficiencies and minimising waste.      across the wider food industry.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE    The appointment of a Grocery Code
                       Adjudicator in June 2013 opens the way     Finally, in terms of closing the loop,
                       for better dialogue between suppliers      Steyr Traktoren, a German tractor
                       and supermarkets and, if embraced,         manufacturer, is introducing a biogas
                       should be seen as an important             engine in 2015 that will allow farmers to
                       step forward in facilitating improved      power their tractor using bio-methane
                       planning and forecasting.                  generated by on-site AD-processed
                                                                  slurries. In spring 2014, WRAP and
                       Dialogue is also proving to be a vital     Defra are due to report on trials to
                       tool in the activities of organisations,   demonstrate the benefits of using
                       such as Feeding the 5000, which is         digestate from AD in agriculture.
                       raising awareness of surplus food and,
                       through its initiative Gleaning Network
                       UK, empowering communities to work
                       with local farmers and food
                                                                                                               Recommendations. While it is believed a small proportion of the food waste
                                                                                                               generated at farm level ends up in landfill, there are still opportunities to ensure
                                                                                                               that the resource value of all foods is maximised, especially arable, fruit and
                       Case study. In May 2012, severe frosts wreaked havoc on crops in                        vegetable crops. There are a number of recommended actions to support both a
                       southern England, causing cosmetic damage to Cox, Braeburn,                             reduction in waste and the take-up of recycling and recovery options, such as AD:
                       Gala, Jazz and red dessert apples. The apples had blemished
                                                                                                               •	Defra to broker an industry-wide commitment                                       potential with all installations. This should
                       skin but still tasted great. Waitrose stocked bags of this so-called
                                                                                                                  between farmers, retailers and Government                                         include a collaborative review involving WRAP,
                       ‘ugly fruit’ in its stores during the autumn, giving customers the                         to avoid food waste caused by aesthetic                                           Defra, the NFU and the Anaerobic Digestion and
                       chance to buy apples that cost less but still tasted as good as                            requirements. The biggest change needs to come                                    Biogas Association (ADBA), to develop a clear
                       unblemished fruit and support British orchards.                                            from consumers and the food processing and                                        business case for farmers and investors for
                                                                                                                  hospitality industries by encouraging them to buy                                 projects of varying scale and feedstock levels
                                                                                                                  misshapen or blemished fruits and vegetables to                                   that builds on best practice guidance being
                                                                                                                  ensure they are not wasted.                                                       developed by the Environment Agency (EA),
                                                                                                                                                                                                    ADBA and Defra.18
                                                                                                               •	Further collaboration between the National
                                                                                                                  Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the AD sector to ensure                                 •	Defra, WRAP and the NFU to undertake more
                                                                                                                  that the quality of digestate from the AD process,                                  detailed research into food waste in the
                                                                                                                  together with its efficient delivery, guarantees                                    agricultural sector and the opportunities to
                                                                                                                  nutrients and organic fraction are returned to the                                  find viable and suitable outlets for surplus
                                                                                                                  soil.                                                                               crops to avoid them going to waste, while
                                                                                                                                                                                                      providing improved financial security for farmers.
                                                                                                               •	Further support for and development of small-                                       The internet and social media platforms such
                                                                                                                  scale, on-farm AD facilities for processing animal                                  as those being explored by PlanZheroes and
                                                                                                                  manures/slurries and other farm residues with                                       Gleaning Network UK may be an effective way of
                                                                                                                  focus on maximising nutrient, energy and heat                                       marrying surplus food with viable outlets quickly.

                                                                                                               18 Defra 2013: Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan Annual Report 2012-13
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                            27

                             Factors identified by the Institute                            organics report identified that only
                             of Grocery Distribution (IGD) as                               27% of AD facilities in the UK at the
                             contributing to the generation of food                         time of the survey had de-packaging
                                                                                                                                                                                                     LARGE FOOD MANUFACTURERS
                             waste in production include under or                           systems.24 Although that position is                                                                     ARE INCREASINGLY
                             overweight products; trimmings, such                           likely to have changed significantly,
                             as crusts or tomato ends; technical                            it is an indication that the availability
                                                                                                                                                                                                     CONSIDERING ZERO FOOD
                             errors; contamination of machinery;                            of facilities capable of handling                                                                        WASTE TO LANDFILL POLICIES
                             inconsistency within processes used,                           packaged food waste is not likely
                             such as cooking times and temperature                          to be in line with the available AD
                             and market-imposed waste,                                      plant capacity.
                             exacerbated by take-back systems
                             and last-minute order cancellations.22                         A reluctance to change food
                                                                                            production systems or operations
                             As a polarised sector, more is known                           to reduce or improve the outcomes
                             about the small number of large                                for food waste can also be a barrier
                             manufacturers. For these companies,                            to it being moved up the hierarchy.
                             who are typically producing food                               Operational change often requires
                             waste in bulk, the business case                               investment and behavioural
                             for diverting food waste is clear, as                          change. Real or perceived difficulty
                             landfill represents the most expensive                         related to measuring the return on
                             disposal option.                                               investment and concerns in altering
                                                                                            staff behaviour can often dissuade
                             Barriers in manufacturing                                      organisations from taking those
                             For the large number of small                                  important first steps.
                             manufacturers producing significantly
                             less individual volumes of food waste,                         Is anything changing?
                             there are issues surrounding separate                          Despite the level of waste,
                             collection. The perceived cost and                             the food manufacturing sector has
                             frequency of collection, as well as                            made enormous strides in diverting
                             misconceptions surrounding smell                               material from landfill. Recognising
                             and vermin can all be seen as                                  the commercial benefits, large food
                             potential barriers.                                            manufacturers are increasingly
                                                                                            considering zero food waste to
                             Some food manufacturers also make                              landfill policies.
                             use of industrial macerator systems,
                             which discharge to the sewer.                                  In 2007, the Food & Drink Federation
                             This can be thought of by those                                (FDF), which represents food and
                             users as a low-cost solution but                               drink manufacturers, announced its
                             are unpopular in the water industry                            Five-Fold Environmental Ambition, one
                             and many are lobbying for a ban on                             of which was to send zero food and
                             macerators because of their impact                             packaging waste to landfill by 2015.
                             on sewer systems.23                                            Another was to reduce product and
                                                                                            packaging waste in the supply chain
                             Contamination by packaging is also,                            by 5% by the end of 2012, against a
                             for some, a barrier to moving food                             2009 baseline.
                             waste up the hierarchy. WRAP’s

Food and drink
manufacturing
The food industry is the largest manufacturing sector
in the UK, with a turnover of £76.7bn (16% of all UK
manufacturing) and employing 395,000 people.19
There are around 10,000 food and drink manufacturing
sites in the UK20 producing in the region of 3.2m tonnes
of food waste.21

                               19 Food and Drink Federation: Sustainable Growth in the Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry - 2011 20 Environment
                               Agency website 2013: Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector 21 Waste arising in the supply of food and drink to households
                               in the UK, WRAP 2010 22 Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS) Champions’ Group on Waste, 2007 23 Water UK 2009:
                               Position paper: Macerators – the Impact on Sewers 24 WRAP 2011: A survey of the UK organics recycling industry in 2010
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                                                   29

WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment is               solutions to resolve the issue. To help    Case study. Ferndale Foods in Erith, Kent produces innovative, high-quality ready
a voluntary agreement aimed at               businesses to apply best practice,         meals for supermarkets, manufacturing some 15,000 tonnes of finished products
reducing the carbon and wider                it has developed more than 50 case
                                                                                        from 200 product lines. In 2010, a drive to increase its recycling operations,
environmental impacts of the sector.25       studies which show the toolkit in
It sets specific targets for the reduction   action. These demonstrate how              reduce its environmental impact and lower costs, identified food waste as a key
and diversion from landfill of food          companies such as Booker, Brakes,          component in achieving these objectives.
waste throughout the supply chain.           Kellogg’s and Kraft have reduced food
WRAP’s last update on the Courtauld          waste successfully on lines such as
                                                                                        Kieron Foody, sustainability manager for parent company Oscar Mayer, said:
Commitment in 2012 showed that of the        sandwiches, cakes, snacks and ready
2.3m tonnes of waste generated by            meals, delivering considerable             “Food waste collection has led to better visibility and understanding of all our
those signed up in the supply chain,         cost savings.26                            waste streams. We’ve now maximised zero food waste to landfill and this has
including manufacturers, 80% was                                                        enabled further recycling opportunities, which has reduced our waste costs by
recovered or recycled, 10% was sent          To help put surplus food to better use a
                                                                                        16% year on year.”
for disposal to landfill and 10% was         new food redistribution working group,
discharged to sewer. Now in its              chaired by WRAP was launched in
third phase, which runs from 2013 to         the UK in early January, 2013. Among       In 2012, Ferndale Foods generated more than 400MWh of renewable energy by
2015, there are new targets for the          attendees, the FDF reports 17 of its       diverting its food through PDM Group’s biomass combustion process, producing
manufacturing and retail sectors to          members are now working more closely
                                                                                        nutrient-rich fertiliser from the ash and displacing more than 250 tonnes of GHG.
further reduce grocery ingredient,           with organisations such as FareShare
product and packaging waste in the           in order to redistribute surplus food to   As a group, Oscar Mayer has seen similar benefits by sending food waste to AD
supply chain by 3% before 2015,              people in need.27                          across its other UK sites.
against the 2012 baseline.
                                             Another initiative that is exploring
                                                                                        The FDF website has further case studies describing manufacturers who have successfully achieved
In its efforts to encourage waste            options for surplus foods is The Pig
                                                                                        diversion of waste from landfill.29
reduction, the Institute of Grocery          Idea.28 Launched by Tristram Stuart,
Distribution (IGD) has identified five key   founder of Feeding the 5000, the
business principles that can be applied      campaign has raised awareness of
to drive down waste: measurement,            the potential for certain food waste
engagement, forecasting, packaging           streams, if properly regulated, to be
design and efficient product range.          used in pig feed. This supports the idea
It has produced a collaborative toolkit      that materials such as clean bread,
which demonstrates how producers             dough, cereals and confectionery are
and retailers can work closely to            suitable for animal feed.
identify waste hotspots, establish
why they are happening and develop

                                                                                        Recommendations. The positive actions outlined above demonstrate that a lot has
                                                                                        been achieved in diverting material from landfill in the food manufacturing sector.
                                                                                        There are plenty of best practice case studies and guidance to inspire even more
                                                                                        innovation in the future. This is great news; however, there are still steps that can
                                                                                        be taken to create more value from food waste:

                                                                                        •	Food manufacturing businesses of all sizes to                          •	Government to introduce a phased ban on food
                                                                                           adopt the food waste hierarchy and develop                                waste to landfill from 2017 for business, based
                                                                                           action plans to review systems and processes in                           on turnover and/or volume of waste generated
                                                                                           order to separate food waste.                                             (e.g. above 50kg of food waste per week), to
                                                                                                                                                                     give companies time to look for and adopt
                                                                                        •	Businesses to include food waste and                                      alternative disposal options. This should be
                                                                                           consideration of the food waste hierarchy in all                          supported by mandatory separate collection
                                                                                           waste contract specifications.                                            of food waste with an outcome that optimises
                                                                                                                                                                     its value for energy, nutrients for agriculture
                                                                                        •	Better coordination between manufacturers,                                and preferably heat. The second phase is to
                                                                                           distributors and retailers with optimal storage,                          ensure all food waste from households and
                                                                                           handling and forecasting to avoid food waste                              businesses is diverted from landfill by 2020.
                                                                                           being shifted across the supply chain, as                                 This will allow industry to develop the
                                                                                           demonstrated by the IGD waste prevention                                  appropriate infrastructure to optimise the
                                                                                           toolkit.30                                                                resource value of food waste.

                                                                                        •	Further collaboration between the various
                                                                                           groups delivering positive change within the
                                                                                           sector to coordinate efforts, share experiences
                                                                                           and data. This scope should be widened to
                                                                                           gain valuable insight from other countries in
                                                                                           Europe and globally.

                                                                                        25 WRAP 2005: Courtauld Commitment launch 26 www.igd.com/supplychainwaste 27 www.resource.uk.com/article/UK/New_group_improve_food_redistribution_needy-2677#.Ui5NktLku8A
                                                                                        28 www.thepigidea.org/ 29 www.fdf.org.uk 30 IGD Supply Chain Waste Prevention Guide 2012
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                    31

Food distribution
                                                              Typical of the problems reported in                            the supply chain has multiple
Food distribution is so closely aligned to all elements       logistics are issues with poor or                              stakeholders within an organisation
of the food supply chain that it is difficult to obtain       damaged packaging, faulty or                                   and may also include a number
                                                              inaccurate temperature control                                 of external logistics partners.
figures that separate it from the food sector as a whole.     settings and environmental factors
Consequently, while overall food waste in the supply          such as damp or contamination.                                 Rising fuel prices have driven
                                                                                                                             suppliers to consider lightweight
chain is estimated at around £5bn per annum, the              When these types of incidents occur,                           packaging to reduce vehicle weights
majority of this is assigned to either manufacturers          food waste can arrive for disposal in                          but this, in turn, can result in foodstuffs
                                                              large quantities – literally by the lorry                      becoming more vulnerable to damage
or retailers.31 WRAP’s best estimate to date is that          load. The fact that it is not reported                         or contamination.34
4,000 tonnes of food waste per year is generated in           does not mean that it does not exist,
                                                              nor that it does not represent a                               Is anything changing?
distribution.32 However, this figure is scaled up from data   significant financial burden.                                  WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment is
provided by a single supermarket so it is difficult to                                                                       prompting change up and down the
                                                              Barriers in distribution                                       supply chain, with more rigorous
determine how representative this is. Despite the lack of     Often incidents of damage or loss of                           attempts to identify and eliminate
clarity, there is undoubtedly food waste happening in         food in the supply chain are ‘one-offs’                        waste not only being driven by
                                                              caused by unforeseen circumstances,                            commercial realities but also by the
the vital distribution links.                                 human error or lack of planning. Such                          requirement for year-on-year waste
                                                              situations mean that they are frequently                       reductions. It has established a
                                                              written off as natural shrinkage, with no                      number of tools and case studies that
                                                              real attempt to measure their impact or                        can be applied to all elements of the
                                                              address them proactively.                                      supply chain, with transparency of
                                                                                                                             reporting and measurement acting as
                                                              IGD research identified that there was                         the catalyst for positive action.
                                                              an element of not wanting to “open up
                                                              a can of worms” with colleagues or                             Similarly, the IGD waste prevention
                                                              trade partners, as well as fears over                          toolkit and case studies provide a
                                                              damage to reputation, which means                              valuable insight into how and where
                                                              that many in the industry are not                              best practice is happening and
                                                              reporting waste incidents.33                                   how to apply it to all elements of the
                                                                                                                             supply chain. The focus is on greater
                                                              Also, assigning responsibility and                             collaboration between partners and
                                                              ownership for waste between the                                suppliers to understand the risks and
                                                              producer and the end destination can                           opportunities for change.
                                                              be problematic. This is because

                                                              31 WRAP 2012: Supply chain – Manage and Measure Waste 32 Waste arisings in the supply of food and drink to households in the UK – 2010
                                                              33 www.igd.com/our-expertise/Supply-chain/Sustainable-supply-chains/4587/Profit-through-partnerships-to-prevent-supply-chain-waste/
                                                              34 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport 2013: Logistics and Transport Focus – the unforeseen effects of lightweighting packaging
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                   33

                                                                                              “One of the biggest and most important challenges
                                                                                               facing the food supply chain is convincing
                                                                                               organisations and consumers to recycle food
                                                                                               waste rather than send it to landfill. Efficient
                                                                                               processing of food waste can reduce emissions,
                                                                                               capture energy and recycle essential yet finite
                                                                                               nutrients. When food waste is sent to landfill, not
                                                                                               only does it release methane but the nutrient
                                                                                               value is not captured. The food waste
                                                                                               management industry is tackling the issue of food
                                                                                               waste across the food chain, going to great
                                                                                               lengths to preserve its inherent value.”
                                                                                               FABRA – STEVE WOODGATE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

                        Case study. Reynolds is a           products from the domestic
                        family-run business that            market are replaced by            Recommendations. The distribution element of the food supply chain is one that is
                        supplies fresh food and chilled     products from overseas.           often overlooked, as seen by the lack of data about this sector. However, there is a
                        products to around 3,000                                              real opportunity to drive positive change:
                        restaurant groups, contract         “There can be differences in
                        caterers and high-end               temperature, sunlight and         •	Closer collaboration between suppliers,             •	Government to introduce a phased ban on food
                        hoteliers and restaurateurs.        distribution time and they           customers and the logistics providers to               waste to landfill from 2017 for business, based
                        The company reviews                 all affect the quality of the        measure and better understand where waste              on turnover and/or volume of waste generated
                                                                                                 is happening and look for opportunities to             (e.g. above 50kg of food waste per week),
                        operations continuously             produce. Obviously, quality          minimise it. Utilise the best practice examples        to give companies time to look for and adopt
                        throughout the supply chain to      affects the product and that         that WRAP and IGD have developed to drive              alternative disposal options. This should be
                        improve resource efficiency.        can impact upon how much our         down waste.                                            supported by mandatory separate collection
                                                            customer gets and potentially                                                               of food waste with an outcome that optimises
                                                                                              •	Businesses to include food waste and                   its value for energy, nutrients for agriculture
                        Technical director Ian Booth        how much waste that                  consideration of the food waste hierarchy in all       and preferably heat. The second phase is to
TONNES OF FOOD WASTE    explains that there is a range      customer has.”                       waste contract specifications.                         ensure all food waste from households and
PER YEAR IS GENERATED   of factors at play:                                                                                                             businesses is diverted from landfill by 2020.
                        “Are we getting the best            Booth went on to say that the     •	A review of the opportunities to optimise the          This will allow industry to develop the
   IN DISTRIBUTION                                                                               shelf life of food produce, by sharing best            appropriate infrastructure to optimise the
                        possible life out of the product?   company reduced food waste           practice and looking at optimal storage and            resource value of food waste.
                        Have we worked with our             by working with its customers        transit methods and tools.
                        suppliers to see if that life       to forecast menu changes.
                        can be extended? How can            This, he said, enabled the        •	A review of packaging and storage containers
                                                                                                 to ensure they offer the most protection for food
                        we better understand                business to adapt the type and       in transit. Encourage businesses to strike the
                        temperature control within          volume of food that it supplied      right balance between achieving vehicle weight
                        the supply chain and analyse        to its customers. Reynolds has       reductions through lightweight packaging
                        how we can get the longest          cut waste through product            and guaranteeing that products reach their
                                                                                                 destination intact and fit for purpose.
                        potential shelf life?”              development, such as its
                                                            line of prepared vegetables
                        As a food distributor, Booth        for customers. In this way it
                        explained that Reynolds had         can ensure that misshapen
                        to prioritise food safety and       vegetables are fully exploited
                        quality, but added that food        in stews and soups.
                        wastage was linked closely to
                        them both. One of the biggest
                        challenges was adapting
                        to seasonal changes when
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                             35

Grocery retail                                                                                                                                        TESCO, FOR INSTANCE, NOW
                                                                                                                                                      SEPARATES SURPLUS BREAD
                                                                                                                                                      FOR ANIMAL FEED AND CERTAIN
                                                                                                                                                      MEAT PRODUCTS FOR PET FOOD
                                                                                                                                                      INGREDIENT MANUFACTURE

According to the IGD, the UK grocery market was worth
£169.7bn in 2013 and employed more than 1m people in
more than 100,000 stores.35 The industry is dominated by
a small number of large household names such as Tesco,
Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl and
is estimated to produce 300,000 tonnes of food waste per
year; 200,000 tonnes of this is believed to be avoidable.
The potential saving to retailers of addressing surplus
and avoidable food waste is more than £360m, and the
equivalent of 800,000 tonnes of GHG.36

Food waste within the sector is                                potential barrier to the implementation
generated in many ways. These range                            of new waste strategies.
from cultural issues surrounding
acceptability of ‘imperfect’ foods to                          Smaller convenience format retailers,
over-ordering, damaged stock, fridge                           including supermarket-based chains,
and freezer breakdowns and products                            symbol groups and independents, face
going out of date. Furthermore,                                particular challenges when it comes to
the retail sector has come under                               dealing with food waste. For example,
scrutiny for creating waste at either                          there are limitations to back-haul
end of the supply chain – through                              solutions. The principle of back-haul
excessive demands on suppliers and                             is that vehicles making a delivery
by encouraging consumers to buy, and                           to stores also take waste away for
therefore waste more, by marketing                             recycling. However, this is not possible
multi-buy deals.                                               from smaller stores as one vehicle
                                                               tends to service multiple drop points
Barriers in retail                                             and there is risk associated with mixing
Consumer demand, product choice,                               fresh produce and food waste on the
competitive price-driven marketing,                            same vehicle. Additionally, smaller
short-termism in planning and                                  shops have less frequent deliveries
forecasting food supplies; these can                           and less space to store waste.
all contribute to driving up food waste.
However, consumers also play a role                            For these smaller units, separate food
and are often blamed for demanding                             waste collections from store may be
‘perfect’ fruit and vegetables.                                thought of as expensive in comparison
                                                               to general waste, while the opportunity
For some, changing consumer and                                to provide surplus produce for charities
staff behaviours can be seen as a                              is more challenging due to the smaller
risk in light of the intense competition                       quantities involved.
between retailers, making this a

35 IGD: www.igd.com/our-expertise/Retail/retail-outlook/3371/UK-Grocery-Retailing/
36 Waste arising in the supply of food and drink to households in the UK, WRAP 2010
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill

Is anything changing?                       Tesco is not alone. Asda scrapped           As part of their commitment to
Since the start of 2013, a number of        buy one, get one free promotions of         reducing waste, Tesco, Sainsbury’s
initiatives have been announced by          core products in 2009. In June 2013 it      and Asda have refined the use of their
the major retailers to demonstrate their    announced that it was to start sending      delivery fleet to back-haul recyclable
commitment to reducing food waste.          surplus chilled foods to food banks         materials to central depots. From
                                            in an agreement with FareShare that         here, food surplus and food waste
In May 2013, Tesco launched a major         would see ingredients supplied for a        can be separated and sent for re-use,
campaign against food waste,                further 3.6m meals a year.                  recovery or recycling.
with a series of initiatives as part of
its Tesco and Society programme             In addition, significant progress           Tesco, for instance, now separates
aimed at promoting a new image for          has been made in the retail sector          surplus bread for animal feed and
supermarkets and creating social            since the launch of the Courtauld           certain meat products for pet food
change. Philip Clarke, CEO of Tesco,        Commitment, with 80% of waste               ingredient manufacture, while
announced that food would come in           produced by signatories now being           Sainsbury’s has been donating safe
smaller packages, food promotions           recovered or recycled.37 Phase three        and nutritious food to FareShare for
would be tailored to stop encouraging       of the Courtauld Commitment could           18 years. Additionally, all supermarket
people to buy large amounts of food         realise up to £1.6bn of savings, a          groups recycle their ABP material
with a short shelf life and its Clubcards   cumulative reduction of 1.1m tonnes         in line with legislation, so that it is
would be used to report to customers        of waste, GHG reductions of 2.9m            either rendered or processed through
the relative healthiness of their           tonnes and a 20% decrease in                technology solutions such as AD or
purchase and how to limit food waste.       household food waste.38                     energy from waste (EfW).

Recommendations. Larger retailers are extremely influential in establishing                                                       Case study. In 2012, three months ahead of schedule, Waitrose
best practice for both preventing food waste throughout the supply chain and                                                      achieved its aim of sending zero food waste to landfill in the
in securing the best possible outcomes in terms of disposal options. By setting                                                   UK. Through its ‘Treading Lightly’ environmental strategy, it
themselves zero food waste to landfill goals, they are identifying solutions that                                                 conducted a thorough review of its operations and supply chain,
can influence smaller retailers and the opportunities they have for tackling                                                      which enabled it to identify all the factors contributing to food
food waste. To take things to the next stage, there are a number of simple and                                                    waste so that these could be addressed individually.                THE POTENTIAL SAVING
straightforward actions that have the potential to make a real difference:                                                                                                                               TO RETAILERS OF
                                                                                                                                  As a result, it implemented a series of solutions, including
•	Defra to broker an industry-wide commitment        •	Businesses to include food waste and                                                                                                           ADDRESSING FOOD
                                                                                                                                  donating surplus food for redistribution through food banks,
   between farmers, retailers and government             consideration of the food waste hierarchy in all
                                                                                                                                  for animal charities and zoos and any remaining food waste           WASTE IS MORE THAN
   to avoid food waste caused by aesthetic               waste contract specifications.
   requirements. The biggest change needs to                                                                                      was sent to AD. Indeed, Waitrose was one of the first
   come from consumers and the food processing        •	Guidance to be offered by retailers on storage                           organisations to identify AD as the preferred solution for
   and hospitality industries by encouraging             and freezing, ensuring that date marks and
   them to buy misshapen or blemished fruits and         instructions on food packaging are clear and
                                                                                                                                  its unavoidable food waste.
   vegetables to ensure they are not wasted.             consistent.
                                                                                                                                  Waitrose Recycling & Waste Manager, Arthur Sayer, said: “We
•	The development of a marketing charter that        •	Government to introduce a phased ban on food                             work to reduce the amount of waste we produce as it’s not in
   ensures food waste is dealt with through              waste to landfill from 2017 for business, based
   preferable marketing strategies, such as              on turnover and/or volume of waste generated
                                                                                                                                  our business interest to produce any waste at all. Inevitably
   discounting excess stock and food near its            (e.g. above 50kg of food waste per week), to                             though, some food waste does occur and AD has proven to be
   expiry date, rather than ‘buy one, get one free’      give companies time to look for and adopt                                a sustainable way of eliminating the need to send it to landfill,
   offers, which encourage consumers to buy more         alternative disposal options. This should be                             reducing our impact on the environment and creating renewable
   than they need. This could be facilitated by the      supported by mandatory separate collection
   FDF or similar body.                                  of food waste with an outcome that optimises
                                                                                                                                  energy along the way.”
                                                         its value for energy, nutrients for agriculture
•	The extension and increase in food waste              and preferably heat. The second phase is to
   education programmes such as ‘Love Food               ensure all food waste from households and
   Hate Waste’, with a significant increase in the       businesses is diverted from landfill by 2020. This
   level of investment from £2m to multiples of          will allow industry to develop the appropriate
   this amount through additional private sector         infrastructure to optimise the resource value of
   support. Currently £1 spent by the campaign           food waste.
   saves £150 worth of food from landfill.

                                                                                                                                  37 WRAP 2013: Courtauld Commitment
                                                                                                                                  38 WRAP 2013: Launch of Courtauld Commitment 3
UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill                                                                                                    39

                                                                                                                                                                                     General waste collection model

Catering and
hospitality sector
                                                                                                                                                                                               ONE-PRICE-FITS-ALL
                                                                                                                                                                                  Assuming £10 per 1100 litre bin collection charge

There are almost 260,000 catering and hospitality
outlets in the UK, ranging from cafes and restaurants
                                                                                                                                                       HOTEL                              OFFICE                            SCHOOL                      HOSPITAL
to hotels and pubs. These are known in the industry
as the ‘profit sector’. A second ‘cost sector’ includes
organisations where catering is supplied but for whom it
is not their primary function, such as hospitals, prisons,
schools and offices. Figures from 2011 show that the
                                                                                                                                                      Example:                             Example:                        Example:                       Example:
sale of food and drink in the hospitality sector totalled                                                                                      Total bin weight 250kg                Total bin weight 40kg           Total bin weight 80kg          Total bin weight 80kg
£42.8bn, with an estimated 8 million meals served.39                                                                                                                    Equivalent cost per tonne = cost per bin (£10) ÷ total bin weight (average)

According to WRAP, the profit sector                              Barriers
of the hospitality industry produces                              The WRAP report of 2011 highlights                                                  Equivalent                          Equivalent                          Equivalent                  Equivalent
an estimated 600,000 tonnes of food                               that the sector is dominated by                                                   cost per tonne                      cost per tonne                      cost per tonne              cost per tonne
waste per year. Of this, 400,000
tonnes could have been eaten if it
                                                                  a large number of small and
                                                                  medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).                                                      £40                               £250                                £125                         £125
had been better planned, portioned,                               Indeed, some 73% of sites employ less
managed, stored or prepared.40 The                                than 10 people, while only 3% employ
Sustainable Restaurant Association                                50 or more. This implies that waste is
(SRA) conducted its own survey into                               generated in relatively small volumes
the reasons for most restaurant                                   in a large number of places and as
wastage and concluded that 65% was                                such, sites are typically serviced by                                                                                                      Average
preparation waste, including peelings,                            easy-to-use frequent collections in                                                                                                      revenue per
                                                                                                                                                                                                         collection round
offcuts, egg shells, etc. 30% was from                            four-wheeled general waste bins. It
plate scraping and 5% resulted from
spoilage, typically due to poor storage
                                                                  is the general waste bin itself that is
                                                                  one of the key barriers to the uptake
                                                                                                                                                                                                            £135
or inventory management.41                                        of food waste recycling within the UK
                                                                  hospitality sector.
Within the cost sector the numbers are
even more significant. It is estimated                            The general waste collection model
that 3.4m tonnes of food waste is                                 highlighted in WRAP’s report operates
produced, 2m tonnes of which is                                   nationally and typically with a one-                                                                                       - Landfill tax and processing cost
avoidable. It is thought that 30m                                 price-fits-all approach, irrespective of                                                                                             - Transport cost
hospital meals are left uneaten every
year; while primary and secondary
                                                                  weight. In some areas that is changing,
                                                                  but in others, it maintains a collection
                                                                                                                                                                                                               =
                                                                                                                                                                                            Positive margin for waste collector
schools combined generate in excess                               mechanism that favours landfill or
of 80,000 tonnes of food waste per                                incineration and therefore delivers less
year.42 For both the cost and profit                              desirable environmental outcomes.
sector, forecasting footfall, limited                             The below infographic demonstrates
                                                                                                                                                  How it currently operates:                                          •	If heavy mixed waste bins can be collected for
options for re-using unserved food,                               how food waste can be collected
                                                                                                                                                  •	One bin, one price regardless of how much                            less than the cost of landfill tax the economic
inflexible portion sizes and a desire not                         for significantly less than the cost of
                                                                                                                                                     you put in                                                           benefit of recycling is lost
to run out of food can all lead to waste.                         landfill tax through this regime. The
                                                                                                                                                  •	The heavier the bin, the cheaper the cost                        •	Food waste is heavy, so there’s no driver to
                                                                  landfill tax alone stands at £72 per
                                                                                                                                                     per tonne                                                            recycle food waste once it’s in a mixed waste bin
WRAP’s findings within the hospitality                            tonne, while gate fees into AD plants
                                                                                                                                                  •	The lighter the bin, the higher the cost per tonne               •	In a mixed waste bin it’s difficult to determine
sector also concluded that food waste                             are reported at a current mean of
                                                                                                                                                  •	Overall the collection round makes money                             how much food waste is produced
recycling within the industry was ‘rare’                          £41 per tonne.43 Paying per bin rather
                                                                                                                                                     because there is a mix of light and heavy bins                   •	If it’s difficult to measure food waste, it’s difficult
and that ‘the management of waste                                 than by weight means as long as this
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          to reduce it
for disposal was very traditional, with                           general waste model prevails, the
                                                                                                                                                  Why it is part of the problem:                                      •	Reducing food waste saves the most money and
most companies relying on four-                                   landfill tax will fail to divert food waste
                                                                                                                                                  •	Landfill tax was introduced to encourage                             is better for the environment
wheeled bins to contain mixed waste                               from landfill.
                                                                                                                                                     recycling by making disposal to landfill more
for disposal’.                                                                                                                                                                                                        As a result the consumer becomes locked into
                                                                                                                                                     expensive than recycling
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      a waste service that has the least desirable
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      economic and environmental outcomes
39 Horizons FS: ‘UK Foodservice Industry in 2011’ 40 WRAP 2011: The composition of Waste Disposed of by the UK Hospitality Industry
41 Sustainable Restaurant Association 2011: Too Good to Waste 42 WRAP 2011: The composition of Waste Disposed of by the UK
Hospitality Industry 43 WRAP Gate-fees report 2013
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