Waitrose has become the first major UK retailer to embark on a wide scale trial of anaerobic digestion. The concept is to convert waste food into renewable energy in a pioneering trial which may transform the way that the supermarket industry disposes of its waste. The retailer is using all of the food waste from five of its shops to generate renewable energy, which goes back into the national grid. If successful, the scheme could be rolled out to far more Waitrose shops and provide an environmentally... ...Read more »

The grocery sector has ended packaging growth in the UK despite a sharp increase in sales, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) said overnight. WRAP has been working in consultation with the UK’s top retailers and brands to achieve this target and believe the sector is now on track to cut food and packaging waste. This success is the result of the ‘Courtauld Commitment’, according to WRAP. This is a voluntary agreement between WRAP, Defra (Department for Environment,... ...Read more »

The cost of needlessly wasted food to UK households is £10 billion a year, £2 billion higher than previously estimated, according to new research published by not-for-profit organisation WRAP. The research gives detailed new insights into the nature and amount of food waste thrown away in the UK and is believed to be the most comprehensive study of its kind. It reveals that the average household throws out £420 of good food a year. For the average family with children it’s higher... ...Read more »