Food and drink manufacturers reduce food waste by almost a third

Food and drink manufacturing sector reduced food waste by over 30 percent on a per capita basis since 2011, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) claimed.

The figures from the latest annual progress report for FDF’s Ambition 2025 environmental targets represent a significant contribution to a reduction in food waste of 13.4 percent across the supply chain during the same time period, it added.

“Our members have taken truly impressive steps to reduce food waste,” said Helen Munday, chief scientific officer at FDF.

“Over the coming year the Food and Drink Federation will be undertaking a major mid-term review of Ambition 2025 to ensure it reflects our vision for a thriving, responsible and sustainable food and drink industry.”

Last year, FDF signed up to the UK Government’s Step up to the Plate initiative, which aims to halve the UK’s total food waste by 2030. FDF and member companies are also supporters of WRAP’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.

Dr David Moon, head of business collaboration at WRAP, said the manufacturers have made a “significant and critical” contribution over the decade in reducing UK food waste.

“We know that those businesses that have engaged with the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and implemented a strategy of Target, Measure, Act have saved millions of pounds of food from being wasted, but action by many more businesses is needed if we are to achieve our collective targets” Moon added. s

The report also shows that FDF members have halved their CO₂ emissions since 1990, having reduced total emissions by 53.2 percent on their way to achieving the ambition to reduce CO₂ emissions by 55 percent by 2025.

FDF members have also delivered a 38.5 percent reduction in water consumption between 2007 and 2018. The amount of water consumed per tonne of product was reduced by 39.6 percent over the same period.