Leading retailers and brands urge the government to implement mandatory food waste reporting to combat wastage.
- More than 30 significant entities, including Tesco and Nestlé, have signed a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
- The call for action aims to make food companies accountable for food production and wastage, excluding farmers from the proposed scheme.
- The initiative coincides with the government’s ambition for a ‘circular economy’ and Labour’s target to halve food waste by 2030.
- The push aligns with broader industry efforts, such as new technologies and facilities developed by companies like Tesco and Unilever.
Retailers and major brands in the food industry are collectively calling on the government to introduce mandatory food waste reporting. This initiative aims to tackle the growing issue of food waste in the UK by obligating food companies to disclose waste levels. It is a movement strongly supported by over 30 prominent signatories, including renowned supermarkets and brands like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose, M&S, Nestlé, and Yoplait.
A letter addressed to the Defra secretary, Steve Reed, highlights the collective desire for transparency and efficiency in food production. The letter, organised by Jamie Crummie from Too Good to Go and the British Retail Consortium, aims to pressure the government into implementing policies that require companies above a certain size to report their food waste statistics.
Importantly, the proposed scheme does not extend to farmers, focusing instead on manufacturers and retailers. This distinction has been made to address the significant volume of waste generated at these stages of the food supply chain. The intent is to encourage businesses to optimise their manufacturing processes, thereby reducing surplus and enhancing sustainability.
The call to action arrives at a time when environmental sustainability is a key priority for the UK government. Recently appointed Defra Secretary Steve Reed has expressed commitment towards developing a ‘circular economy’ with markedly reduced waste. Moreover, the Labour party has set an ambitious target to halve food waste by 2030, aligning perfectly with the goals of this initiative.
Parallel efforts in the industry are evident, with companies like Tesco investing in innovative facilities that transform surplus food into animal feed. Similarly, Unilever has introduced AI-powered tools to help households minimise food waste. These developments reflect a significant step forward in the broader industry goal of reducing food wastage across all sectors.
The collective efforts by major food brands and retailers underscore a robust commitment to addressing food waste issues through mandatory reporting.
