Supermarkets and food manufacturers such as Tesco, Nestle and Coca-Cola, among around 70 other major companies, have backed a goal that aims to halve food waste in the UK by 2030, a change that will also save nearly 10 billion pounds each year. The government-backed plan estimates that around 10 million tonnes of food is wasted annually in the UK alone – waste with a value of approximately 20 billion pounds.
“Today’s announcement is truly a game changer for food waste prevention. Crucially, these companies are committing to halving food waste from farm to fork by 2030, including waste in supply chains and not just the lower hanging fruit of waste in operations,” said Carina Millstone, executive director of anti-food waste charity, Feedback.
Various businesses have promised to work with supermarkets and consumers to determine where food is lost and wasted most. To meet the goals of this plan, food firms are set to employ over 250 people to measure, report and act on managing food waste by 2026.
“It is through government, consumers, and businesses working together that we will continue to tackle the unacceptable issue of unnecessary food waste,” said Thérèse Coffey, Britain’s environment minister.
