Working with the British Retail Consortium, Too Good To Go has united key players from the food industry, including One Stop, Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury, Aldi and Bidfood, to call on the UK government to introduce mandatory food waste reporting for large companies.
An open letter sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) signed by 34 key representatives from across the industry pointed to the “alarming” 10.7 million tonnes of food wasted annually, equating to 15 billion meals. It stated that mandatory food waste reporting would ensure large businesses track and reduce waste, providing transparency and accountability.
This was not just an environmental issue, but an economic one too, the letter claimed, adding that food waste cost the UK economy £21.8bn every year.
“By making waste reduction a priority, businesses can save money, increase efficiency and unlock innovation in line with the growth mission of the new Government,” stated the letter, highlighting that countries like Austria had seen meaningful results from implementing mandatory food waste reporting, reducing food waste by one million kilos from the first report in Q4 2023, to the Q2 2024 report.
“In the UK, this policy would not only reduce waste and support economic growth but position Britain as a leader in sustainable business practice,” said the letter. “We urge the Government to act now. Mandatory food waste reporting is a vital step to a greener, faster growing and more resilient economy.”
The letter was signed by: Too Good To Go and the British Retail Consortium with, Abel and Cole, Aldi, Asda, Bidfood, Booths, Compass Group UK&I, Compleat Group, Cook Trading, Danone, Gousto, Innocent Drinks, LettUs Grow, Lidl, Little Green Footprint, Marks and Spencer, Neighbourly, Nestlé, Ocado, Oddbox, Olio, One Stop, Princes, Quorn, Rubies in the Rubble, Sainsbury’s, Samworth Brothers, Tesco, The Co-op, Toast Ale, Wells and Co, Winnow, YO! Sushi / Snowfox and Yoplait.
