Monday 29 September marks the UN's sixth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. This year’s theme calls for the expansion and strengthening of stakeholder efforts to reduce food loss and waste as a critical element of securing a sustainable food future.
According to WRAP, in the UK, households are responsible for approximately 6 million tonnes of food waste every year. Food that could have been eaten but gets thrown away (4.4 million tonnes) is worth around £17 billion. On average, this is around £1,000 per year for a household of four people. The carbon associated with this food is equivalent to that generated by one in five cars on UK roads.
The 2018 Waste and Resources Strategy contained a commitment by the government to work towards eliminating food waste to landfill by 2030. As part of Defra’s Simpler Recycling programme, from 31 March 2025, businesses in England have been required to separate food waste from other wastes before collection. Micro-firms (ie businesses with less than 10 employees) are not required to comply with this requirement until 31 March 2027. From 31 March 2026, local authorities responsible for collecting household waste will be required to collect food waste on a weekly basis and free of charge.
Food waste can be put to practical use. For example, it can be used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, a renewable energy source. Alternatively, it can be turned into compost to help fertilise soil for future food production.
The most recent statistics suggest that household recycling rates have stagnated in England. It remains to be seen whether compulsory household food waste collections re-energise household recycling, but there is surely a role for food brand owners here. In September 2024, Defra announced that it would be temporarily deferring the introduction of mandatory recycling labelling information on packaging. However, when the requirements eventually come into force, requiring brand owners to include messaging on the packaging to promote the recycling of food waste seems an obvious way to advance the goals of Simpler Recycling and ensure that food waste is recycled rather than being sent to landfill. Given the important role of food brand owners as stakeholders in the supply chain, this would also be consistent with the goals of this year’s International Day of Awareness.
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