London Tests Innovative Food Waste Scheme

09 Sep 2016 --- If a London project to fight food waste and encourage healthier living proves successful it could be replicated across Europe. A new city-wide behavioral change initiative could seriously cut back on food waste, increase awareness about sustainability and healthy eating, saving £330 million (US$438 million).

It aims to change the way consumers shop for, store, prepare and organize their food and meals.

London households bin approximately 900,000 tons of food every year of which 540,000 tons could have been eaten - a huge waste of money for consumers, local authorities and businesses. London waste authorities spend over £50 million (US$66.4 million) a year reprocessing and disposing of food waste; and consumers spend £1.4billion (US$1.8 billion) a year buying the food and drink they throw away.

For the first time, various message on how people can reduce food waste, will be joined up with messages on how they can recycle the food waste that couldn’t be avoided, whilst also integrating messages about healthy sustainable eating. 

This is an exciting opportunity for the TRiFOCAL London scheme - a partnership between resource efficiency management organization Wrap, the London Waste Recycling Board and charity Groundwork London - to set new standards and demonstrate what could be achieved in the fight against food waste.

By the end of the initiative, a ‘food waste behavioral change resource bank’ will be developed, which can be used to help other European cities replicate the achievements of the capital. 

Running for three years, TriFOCAL will engage 33 London boroughs including residents, hospitality and foodservice businesses, local communities and schools through a range of events, advertising and meetings with residents. 

“TRiFOCAL London represents a fantastic opportunity for Resource London to look at the bigger picture around food: what we consume in London, and how we deal with the unavoidable food waste that’s generated. We want to help Londoners consume food more sustainably, save money and get a bit healthier by doing it, and then use their food recycling services more effectively,” says head of program at Resource London, Anthony Buchan. 

“TRiFOCAL will build on the work we’ve done with Recycle for London and the Little Wins Love Food Hate Waste campaign. It delivers an exciting new chapter in making the capital greener.”

“Groundwork London delivers many innovative projects that help Londoners to live and work more sustainably, so we’re incredibly pleased to be part of TRiFOCAL. It is an exciting project that will have a positive impact on people's health and wellbeing as well as reducing food waste in the capital. We'll be working closely with communities and schools, helping both adults and children to make more informed food choices that are healthier and less wasteful,” adds Lindy Kelly, Groundwork London's executive director.

The launch of TriFOCAL follows a Sainsbury’s report that showed a lack of stigma associated with throwing away food, published earlier this week.