In 2018, IGD and WRAP launched the ground-breaking Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, a world-first initiative outlining the route the UK food industry should follow to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and halve food loss and waste by 2030. The Roadmap calls on businesses to implement a Target, Measure, Act strategy, committing to measure food surplus and waste in a consistent way, share what they have learnt and act to reduce their own food waste, and that of their suppliers and customers.
Four years on and the number of food businesses involved has grown to 300, including all of the major grocery retailers. Now 221 large businesses are implementing ‘Target, Measure, Act’, an increase of 7% year-on-year, representing 60% of their sectors. Retail food waste has reduced by 8% between 2018 to 2021, saving almost £62 million ending up as waste.
With less than 8 years left to achieve SDG target 12.3, WRAP and IGD feel that the time is right to refresh the roadmap to supercharge our efforts and accelerate progress towards our food waste targets. The refreshed Food Waste Reduction Roadmap seeks to provide simplification and clarification around the steps businesses need to take on their food waste reduction journey, as well as providing additional support by sector.
Want to get involved with this important initiative? View the updated Roadmap and sign up here.