UK supermarkets to help halve food waste by 2030. Credit: Pietro Annicchiarico from Pixabay

Some of the UK’s major supermarkets and food sector companies have signed a pledge to help halve food waste by 2030 and raise public awareness.

Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Costa, Caffé Nero, FDF, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Starbucks, Nestlé, Ocado, Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, UKHospitality, Unilever, World Wildlife Fund for Nature and Waitrose have signed the pledge following a call from the government.

In the UK, around 10.2m tonnes of food and drink, worth around £20bn, goes to waste annually, of which 1.8m tonnes come from food manufacturing, 1m tonnes from the hospitality sector, 260,000 from retail and the remainder from households.

“I am delighted to see so many UK food businesses commit to game-changing action to cut food waste.”

The latest announcement has been made after Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot called upon organisations to ‘Step up to the Plate’ at a symposium in May 2019 in which 300 key players participated.

Under the pledge, participants will set a target to help halve food waste by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, implement a week of action in November 2019, empower and encourage citizens, and change their habits to be Food Value Champion at work and at home.

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UK environment secretary Michael Gove said: “I am delighted to see so many UK food businesses commit to game-changing action to cut food waste, and I hope that others follow suit.

“The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but each year millions of tonnes of food is wasted.

“I want to thank our Food Surplus and Waste Champion for inspiring business to step up to the plate. Together we will end the environmental and economic scandal that is food waste.”

Ben Elliot said: “We are pleased to see these retailers committing to change. To those retailers yet to sign the pledge – why not? You have a responsibility to step up and do your bit.

“We will be highlighting those who participate and those who do not. The food waste crisis can only be solved by collective action.”