Report: Europe’s Manufacturers Implementing Food Waste Reduction Strategies

25 Nov 2014 --- As part of the European Week for Waste Reduction (22-30 November), FoodDrinkEurope has published a report showcasing the concrete actions being taken by Europe’s food and drink manufacturers to tackle food wastage both within their own operations and up and down their supply chains.

The report, entitled ‘Preventing food wastage in the food and drink sector’, presents the results of an internal survey amongst FoodDrinkEurope members to identify the progress made in preventing food wastage and their plans for future actions.

This survey comes as a follow-up to the launch in 2013 of FoodDrinkEurope’s industry toolkit ‘Maximising food resources: A toolkit for food manufacturers on avoiding food wastage’, published in parallel to a joint declaration on food wastage, entitled 'Every Crumb Counts'. The survey was carried out earlier this year to assess uptake of the toolkit, raise awareness about food wastage as a major societal issue and propose solutions.

The report highlights targeted actions taken to further prevent food wastage across Europe and involving large, medium and small companies alike, covering many different sectors.

Some of the key findings show that:
• Over 80% of respondents are working to identify the causes of food wastage in their production systems and optimise their processes accordingly.
• 80% are taking initiatives to prevent food wastage in their factories.
• Over 70% of food manufacturers are working with supply chain partners to help prevent food wastage occur beyond their factories as well as guiding their consumers.
• 60% of the organisations involved in the survey have made preventing food wastage part of their sustainability strategy.

Mella Frewen, FoodDrinkEurope’s Director General, said: “When we launched the Every Crumb Counts declaration and our toolkit, we recognised that the commitments outlined in the declaration had to be taken forward and evidence should be provided. This report is the proof that food and drink companies in Europe and their associations understand the need to lead by example and are working to reduce food wastage in their operations, across supply chains and through innovative partnerships.”