Ending the “scandal” of food waste: UK funds available to help redistribute surplus food

17 Jan 2019 --- UK food redistribution organizations and other companies operating surplus food schemes are being invited to bid for a share of a £5 million (US$6.4 million) round of government funding designed to turbocharge the reduction of food waste. The scheme will seek to help food projects tackle the financial challenges of redistributing surplus food and stem the flow that is currently going to waste.

The so-called “game-changing” fund is the first part of a £15 million (US$19.2 million) scheme announced last year by the UK government to specifically address surplus food issues from retail and manufacturing.

The UK government says it is developing further opportunities to reduce food waste which will come to fruition later this year, but stresses that should progress on cutting food waste be insufficient, it will consult on seeking legal powers to introduce mandatory targets for food waste prevention.

Approximately 43,000 tons of surplus food is redistributed from retailers and food manufacturers every year with an estimated further 100,000 tons of food being edible and readily available. Currently, this goes uneaten and is instead, redistributed for generating energy from waste, anaerobic digestion, or animal feed.

“It is absolutely essential that we end the scandal of food waste and this substantial funding will help that happen,” says British Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey. “We want to build on the great work already being done by businesses, charities and volunteers. Perfectly good food should be on people’s plates and not unnecessarily discarded.”

“The fund is open to organizations that receive surplus food to distribute to those who have a need in the UK. Applicants will need to show how they will help food businesses reduce their surplus in the long term,” Coffey explains.

Philanthropist Ben Elliot has also been appointed as the government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion to help promote awareness of the issue and drive down food waste from all sources. 

“The announcement is an exciting step which will turbocharge the efforts to reduce the frankly unforgivable amount of food which goes to waste,” says Elliot, who is the nephew of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. 

“My role is all about championing this crucial issue and I’m convinced the significant amount of money the government has made available will really help to amplify the good work which food redistribution companies do in this country.”

UK food waste charity Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), also welcomes the government’s move to set up this fund. 

“Redistribution is an important part of the comprehensive package of measures announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy which aims to tackle food waste holistically at all parts of the supply chain and in the home,” says Marcus Gover, Chief Executive of WRAP.

“This fund will help to accelerate the redistribution of surplus food from retailers and food manufacturers to people who can benefit from it. It builds on the great work in this area in recent years which has seen millions of meals’ worth of food saved from waste and which has benefited both society and the environment.”

The announcement builds on the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy launched last month which sets out how it will introduce annual reporting of food surplus and waste by food businesses.  

Manufacturers will have to foot the bill for recycling or the disposal of their own waste as part of the new strategy. Also contained in the plan – said to “overhaul” England’s waste system – were steps aimed at simplifying recycling labels for consumers, limiting levels of food waste, introducing a deposit-return scheme for single-use bottles and clamping down on the illegal movements of waste within the recycling industry. The proposals will only affect England. 

The Resources and Waste Strategy also sets out how the government will ensure weekly collections of food waste, which is often unpleasant, for every household – restoring weekly collections in some local authorities. This is subject to consultation.

The grant closes on the 20 February 2019.

Food waste in the UK totals 10.2 million tons per year, of which 1.8 million tons comes from food manufactures, one million from the hospitality sector and 260,000 from retail, with the remainder from households.

Globally the food waste issue has been in the spotlight for the past few years, gaining momentum as one of the key concerns of modern society. Last year, the EU took a vital step forward in combating the food waste crisis with the European Parliament setting ambitious reduction targets. Politicians also supported a series of measures concerning the treatment of waste in general (food waste, recycling and landfill) in a bid to moving towards a circular economy.

By Gaynor Selby

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