More work needed to cut grocery supply chain waste

WRAP has published results for the first year of phase 2 of the voluntary agreement which show that signatories are already half way to achieving their packaging reduction target, and three quarters of the way to reaching the household food waste objectives.

However, efforts to reduce grocery product and packaging waste in the grocery supply chain were less successful, with this waste falling by only 0.4% against a 5% reduction target. This is a new area for the Courtauld Commitment, and will now be an area of additional focus. WRAP said it would be working closely with signatories to ensure that the supply chain and other targets are reached before the end of the Commitment.

Taylor

A need for improvement in this area was highlighted by recycling minister Lord Taylor who said: These results show excellent progress towards cutting down on food and packaging waste that are part of our ambition to move to a zero waste economy. However, there is no room for complacency and its clear that more work needs to be done in meeting our new target for reducing waste in the supply chain. I will be pushing for industry to build on their efforts to make sure we meet these goals over the next two years.

WRAP said the results indicated a strong collective performance given the ambitious nature of the three year targets and the increase in volume sales among signatories. But, it added that the challenge now for businesses was to build upon this early success, through the implementation of more waste prevention and resource efficiency measures.

Courtauld Commitment phase 2 progress to date:

The Courtauld Commitment is funded by all four UK governments and run by WRAP. The voluntary agreement, which began in 2005, supports businesses to improve their overall performance and reduce their environmental impact. Phase 2 began in March 2010 and is due to complete in December 2012.

Signatories

There are currently 53 signatories for the Courtauld 2, ranging from retailers such as M&S and Sainsburys to brands and suppliers such as Kraft Foods UK and Coca Cola Enterprises.

Dr Richard Swannell, director for design & waste prevention at WRAP, said: Following the success of Courtauld Commitment 1, Phase 2 has focused on encouraging resource efficiency and reducing waste in the supply chain and the home. The latest phase 2 figures show good initial progress towards these by the signatories.

The next step is to build on this good start, sharing best practice to encourage rapid change. This is particularly key around waste within the supply chain. We will continue to work with the sector to help ensure the Courtauld phase 2 targets are achieved.