Understand what actions shoppers would like retailers and suppliers to implement to help them reduce food waste

The issue with food waste

Approximately 6.7 million tonnes of household food waste are produced in the UK each year, of which 50% is edible.

While this suggests that shoppers don't put a value on food, over three quarters (77%) of shoppers in IGD's Beyond Packaging: Food Waste in the Home research said they feel guilty about throwing away food. This guilt can stem from the fact that wasting food is wasting money. For some respondents in our research, however, money isn’t the issue; they simply feel bad about throwing away food This indicates that shoppers will welcome solutions that help them to reduce food waste.
 

A typical food waste scenario

So what can the food industry do?

Our shopper research finds that 43% of shoppers think better food planning is the best way to reduce food waste. While this is primarily an area that needs to be addressed by the individual householder, the food industry could potentially facilitate this through information provision or providing shoppers with tools that enable them to plan better. Providing shoppers with tools to create shopping lists and conduct stock audits will help reduce food waste. To a certain extent shopping lists are already being provided through on-line shopping but there are opportunities to develop this further.

Ways to reduce Food Waste

Source: IGD Consumer Unit, 2007

Other suggestions for reducing food waste which can be addressed by the food industry include:

• Resealable packaging (suggested by 29% of shoppers)
  This is a solution that is already available in some categories and has had favourable responses from many shoppers. For Cathedral City cheese, which was mentioned by shoppers in our qualitative research, resealable packaging has provided a competitive advantage and built brand loyalty.
• Smaller portion sizes (suggested by 27% of shoppers),
  With an increase in the numbers of single person households in the UK, providing appropriate portion sizes will be increasingly important. However smaller portion sizes might increase concern about packaging waste among some shoppers. Therefore as well as considering portion size, alternative packaging materials will need to be considered which will not further contribute to landfill.
• Extending shelf life (suggested by 23% of shoppers),
  Extending shelf life on a product may have a negative impact on the image of a product. Processes or additives required to extend shelf life might be a concern for some shoppers. Therefore before extending shelf life, shoppers’ priorities need to be considered.

Reducing food waste does not necessarily mean reducing food sales. Providing solutions to shoppers that will save them money and reduce the guilt of food waste may actually build brand or retailer loyalty.

More information:

Beyond Packaging: Food Waste In The Home Explores shoppers’ attitudes to packaging, recycling and food waste in the home to provide an understanding on the role shoppers believe the food industry can play in reducing waste.

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Gerardine Padbury, Senior Consumer Analyst, IGD is an expert on shopper attitudes to food and retail-related issues, including premium foods, ethical consumerism, shelf ready packaging and retail technology. She is a regular speaker at industry events and conducts qualitative and quantitative research, both commissioned and off-the-shelf.