Australians waste over $5 billion worth of food every year, according to research, and the problem is just getting worse. Fresh food is the major contributor as consumers bite off more than they can chew when they visit the supermarket. Sydney, Australia’s most populous city, is not surprisingly the leader when it comes to waste, with a study from the University of Western Sydney highlighting that the annual waste bill now tops $1 billion. Six hundred million dollars worth of which is fresh... ...Read more »

The price of fresh food could be reduced if innovative work at The University of Manchester to develop intelligent low-cost sensors is successful. Scientists and engineers at The Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Centre are working on technology that will allow more scientific ‘best before’ dates to be set by food producers and retailers. Such technology could slash food waste and associated costs. Researchers are looking at how sensors integrated with Radio Frequency ID (RFID) technology... ...Read more »

Britain’s largest retailer has enlisted a team of six weather experts to assist them in stocking the most suitable products for the prevailing weather. The company is confident that, by being better prepared to adapt to changing consumer preferences based on the weather, they could save hundreds of thousands in food waste costs. A computer program used by the “weather team” includes detailed weather reports for all regions of the country for the past five years and shows what each... ...Read more »

The UK’s Environment Secretary has floated the idea of ridding the country of Buy One Get One Free (bogof) offers in a bid to reduce food waste in the country. Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, noted this week that a “radical rethink” of the way countries produce and consume food is required if the world is to counter the issue of food security. Among the ideas is the banning of bogof deals – to be replaced by half-price offers – which it is hoped will reduce food... ...Read more »

The UK Government has outlined new tactics in their bid to tackle waste, including the possibility of ridding packaging of ‘best before’ dates. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also indicated that supermarkets could face prosecution for excessive packaging and be required to used more recycled content. The Government is looking to reduce confusion with regard to food labelling – which sees perfectly good food thrown away too often. Consultation with industry... ...Read more »

According to latest research from international food and grocery expert IGD, nearly a quarter of British shoppers are seeking inspirational recipe ideas for leftover food in a bid to reduce food waste and save money. Approximately, one third of food shoppers buy is thrown away, costing British consumers alone about £10 billion (A$22b) a year. On top of the obvious environmental concerns, there is an increasing appreciation that wasted food means wasted money. In these challenging times, shoppers... ...Read more »

Members of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) have reduced their CO2 emissions by 17% since 1990 as part of a plan to reduce their environmental impact. The reduction means the industry has been releasing an average of 58,000 tonnes less CO2 per year since 1990 – the equivalent of taking 22,000 cars off UK roads each year. This data is to be released today by the FDF in a new report highlighting how the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector is trying to reduce their environmental impact... ...Read more »

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 at £610... ...Read more »