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Food Waste Action Week 2022: Sodexo releases Appetite for Action report

Today marks the start of Food Waste Action Week, a highlight of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which aims to create lasting change that helps to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste by 2030.

As an organisation that produces millions of meals every year, Sodexo, a sponsor of Food Waste Action Week, has released a report which forms part of its Appetite for Action campaign to support the reduction of food waste and carbon emissions in food services.

Sodexo’s Appetite for Action report was compiled following an industry roundtable it hosted with policymakers, industry stakeholders, chefs, academics and customers. These included representatives from WRAP, WWF, Defra, the Food APPG and CBI among others.

The report provides recommendations for both organisations and government on how food waste can be measured and reduced, so its impact on carbon emissions is minimised.

Recommendations for organisations included:

  • Committing to a 50 per cent reduction in food waste by 2030, at the latest
  • Deploying technology to track and monitor food waste, which will support new mandatory reporting
  • Supporting consumers in making the right environmental decision through positioning plant-based options first on the menu, carbon labelling on produce, and deliberate, obvious communication on where food has been sourced

Recommendations for the UK government included:

  • Commission a dedicated strategy for tackling food waste, building on recommendations within the National Food Strategy
  • PPN 06/21 should be extended to require public sector suppliers to report on their food waste; the private sector should be encouraged to adopt this approach as well
  • Ensure the public understands the impact of food waste through nationwide awareness campaigns about food (waste) and its connection with climate change

Claire Atkins Morris, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Sodexo UK and Ireland, said:  “As a leading food services provider, we have a responsibility to help combat food waste across our operations, as well as assist others in their goal to reduce carbon emissions. Our report shows how food waste reduction must be embraced across the food system if the UK is to meet its climate change commitments.

“Food Waste Action Week is an excellent opportunity to help make the connection between the food that goes to waste and the effect this has on the environment, and we hope this report highlights how the government, organisations and individuals can all play a significant role in reducing food waste. We hope to see actions taken and greater progress made by the time the world convenes again this year for COP27.”

Sodexo has long been committed to food waste reduction as part of its Better Tomorrow 2025 global strategy. In 2019, the organisation unveiled an ambition to cut food waste and loss by 50 per cent by 2025. A commitment that was reaffirmed in its Social Impact Pledge 2021.

Waste Management and Recycling Survey

FMJ in conjunction with Grundon Waste Management have launched the 2022 survey into how FMs approach their waste management and recycling responsibilities.

It’s the fifth year for the annual appraisal, and as we return to normal, there is a real opportunity for FMs to reappraise their waste and recycling operations and look at new, smarter waste management strategies.

In order to understand how FMs have navigated their way through the last year and their plans for meeting stringent waste and recycling targets we’ve posed a series of questions which include insights into FMs’ waste management strategy and targets, such as zero waste and landfill, the types of waste organisations produce and what helps FMs promote waste management in their organisations?

Please share your experiences and opinions on waste management. The survey will take just five minutes to complete, and as a thank you for taking part, respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win a £150 Amazon gift card.

To take part click here.

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