Food waste is rubbish… in every sense of the word. Recently we brought you our From farm to fork and beyond: Part 1 and Part 2 series, where we took a closer look at the issue which affects everyone and also celebrated those leading the fight against it. A constant presence in the food waste fight is our friends at WRAP, the not-for-profit organisation with the ‘mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, resource-efficient economy.’ In Part 1, we showed just a glimpse of the different ways in which they are supporting all areas of the supply chain. And, now there’s even more! In the form of a toolkit ‘Your Business is Food’, designed by the experts to support your food business in tackling waste –what’s more, the toolkit and resources are all absolutely free.
Did you know that by reducing the amount of food your business throws away, you can boost your bottom line?
Not only will you be doing your bit for the environment, and supporting the UK in achieving the Champions 12.3 target in addition to local targets such as those set in London – you will also save money!
It couldn’t be easier. By implementing Your Business is Food, you will follow a three-step process:
Step 1 – Review the food you throw away
Step 2 – Make an action plan
Step 3 – Keep it going!
To achieve maximum results, you need to have everybody on board with the campaign. Perhaps run your team through some of these shocking stats?
- An estimated 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK every year from our own homes, the hospitality and food service sector, in food manufacture, retail and wholesale sectors
- The value of this over £17 billion a year
- Out of this, a huge 60% could be avoided
- Waste from the hospitality and food sector (HaFS) is estimated at £2.5 billion!
Then it’s time to get started by accessing the full toolkit online. Once you have registered, this is free to download and the resources are editable so you can include your company logo, and will support you every step of the way. You’ll need three containers to separate Spoilage, Preparation and Plate food waste, have some scales ready and choose days to run the review – a mix of busy and quiet times to gain a full picture.
The really clever bit is the Food 7 Day Tracking Calculator, which has been developed by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). By simply entering your data, it automatically calculates what the food thrown away is costing you and highlights savings your business could make. You can also extend your use of the calculator as it allows data to be entered for up to four weeks and provides a comparison of the first and fourth weeks which indicates likely annual savings. There are also tracking sheets provided for a 3 or 7 day period, checklists and more. WRAP, MMU and their partners at Love Food Hate Waste New South Wales, FoodSave London really have thought of it all!
So, is it worth it?
We’d say so. There are numerous case studies on the WRAP website which show that businesses who have implemented food waste reduction schemes reap benefits in many different ways, including improving brand reputation and reducing operating costs. In addition, the Greener Retailing For Pubs guide has been published by MMU following a pilot project with Shield Safety client Robinsons Brewery showing the savings that can also be made in different areas including beer, energy, lighting, water, cleaning and more. Many businesses that have trialled food waste reduction campaigns are continuing the work as part of their normal operating procedures, which shows how worthwhile it must be.
Download the Your Business is Food; don’t throw it away kit today to find out for yourself, and do your part in the fight against food waste.
The information contained in this blog article has been created for marketing purposes and is not official guidance and should not be used as a substitute for official Food Safety, Fire Safety and Health & Safety advice. Shield Safety take no responsibility if the information in the blog article is used to form part of a safety management system or used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. For official guidance and to engage with Shield Safety services please do call our team on 020 3740 3744 or email hello@shieldsafety.co.uk.
