The Reduction of Household Food Waste

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The Reduction of Household Food Waste

• Andrew Parry
• WRAP

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The Reduction of Household Food Waste

• WRAP food waste
• Scale of the challenge
• WRAP consumer research
• Strategy for reducing household food waste
• How this will be delivered

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WRAP Food Waste

• Waste Resources Action Programme
• to minimise the production of waste by consumers
  and maximise the recycling of materials.
• Specifically
• Minimising household waste
• Creating markets for recyclate
• Increasing recycling infrastructure
• Training increasing collections
• Promotion of consumer recycling

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WRAP Food Waste

• WRAP targets for the minimisation of household
  waste
• Reduction in packaging waste of 340,000t by 2010
• Reduction in food waste of 100,000t by 2008

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Food Waste Facts

• Around 6.7mt of food waste is generated in UK
  homes each year
• Equivalent to a third of food bought
• At least 50 could have been eaten
• This is equivalent to 15mt of CO2
• A typical household throws away between 250 -
  400 of food that could have been eaten, every
  year

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A Challenging Environment

• Cost, availability choice
• More unplanned shopping trips
• Lack of time
• 19 minutes to prepare a meal
• Lack of knowledge \ interest
• Drop in average household size
• Moves towards shorter shelf-life foods

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Many Factors Contribute To Food Waste
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WRAP Consumer Research

• Compositional research
• Food waste diaries
• Quantitative research
• Focus group research
• Brook Lyndhurst
• Exodus

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What Why?
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• Avoidable Waste Priority Food Categories
• Fresh fruit and vegetables (2.3bn \ 1750Kt)
• Fresh meat and fish \ (1.9bn \ 415Kt)
  chilled meat and fish products
• Bread and bakery products (1.4bn \ 730Kt)
• Dairy (excl. milk) (680m \ 235Kt)
• Chilled ready meals, including pizza (517m \
  115Kt)
• Breakfast cereals (310m \ 110Kt)
• Rice pasta (300m \ 205Kt)
• Processed fruit and vegetables (225m \
  140Kt)
• Spreads, dressings and sauces (130m \
  45Kt)
• Eggs ( 65m \ 40Kt)

Source Defra Family Food Expenditure Survey
(2007) and WRAP \ Exodus diary research (2007)
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Why is Food That Could Have Been Eaten Thrown
Away ?
(WasteWorks 2006)
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What Are The Reasons Given For Wasting Food?
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Who?
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10 of us say that we throw food away quite a
lot or a reasonable amount butof us describe
the amount we throw away as some, a little,
hardly any or none
How Aware Are We Of Food Waste?

• 90

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Who Is More Likely To Waste Food?

• Younger working people
• More likely to buy too much, be swayed by what
  they fancy at the time (including takeaways) and
  change plans day to day
• Waste most unopened food and partly used packs
• Families with school age children
• Very sensitive to food hygiene, try to buy more
  fresh food, and throw away food not liked
• Waste most cooked food, especially from plates

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Are We Bothered?
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How Concerned Are We About Food Waste?
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How Concerned Are We About Food Waste?
Why? Its a waste of my money 68 Its a waste of
good food 45 Its makes me feel guilty 36 Its
bad for the environment 20 I cant afford to
throw away good food 19 Why not? I dont throw
much away 44 Its not a problem 28 I cant help
it 20 Rather that than risk food poisoning
19 Lifes too short 15
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How Much Effort Would We Make to Reduce Food
Waste?

• 2) Diary Research 2007
• 7 in 10 respondents intend to make every effort
  to minimise food waste
• 9 in 10 to make at least some effort
• Three quarters will change because of the
  financial cost
• A half (also) because of the environment

• 1) Quantitative Research 2006
• 67 of respondents say they are making an effort

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Beliefs Barriers

• I dont waste much
• Low awareness
• Around 8 in 10 agreed that uneaten food that is
  disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner
  is NOT waste
• Its not my fault
• Supermarkets, children,
• I havent got time..
• Planning, cooking etc
• I dont know how I dont understand
• Dates fridge temperatures food storage, use of
  leftovers etc
• Packaging is a much worse problem
• Food is biodegradable its OK to landfill
• Composting vs landfill

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Strategy for Food Waste Reduction
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WRAP Food Waste Strategy Minimisation
Diversion
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WRAP Strategy Food Waste Reduction

• Engage with key stakeholders
• Retailers, suppliers, FSA, LAs, community groups
  etc
• Identify barriers to food waste reduction
• Technical, commercial, regulatory etc
• Encourage innovation business change
• Encourage behavioural change

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WRAP Strategy Food Waste Reduction

• Engage with key stakeholders
• Retailers, suppliers, FSA, LAs, community groups
  etc
• Identify barriers to food waste reduction
• Technical, commercial, regulatory etc
• Encourage innovation business change
• Encourage behavioural change
• Launch Food Waste Campaign Autumn 2007

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Food Waste Campaign - Objectives

• Raise awareness grab attention

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Starting to Raise Awareness

• WRAP PR on Food Waste March 2007
• Significant media activity and consumer
  reaction(on-line, phone ins, etc)
• Overwhelmingly positive in tone

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Food Waste Campaign - Objectives

• Raise awareness grab attention
• Personalise the issue
• Encourage and enable action
• Simple solutions
• Small changes

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Campaign Delivery
Direct to consumers
Campaign
Via strategic partners
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Thank You

• www.wrap.org.uk/retail