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According to a government-funded waste reduction body, more than 40 UK retailers have managed to slash food and packaging waste by 1.2 million tons between 2005 and 2009. WRAP said in a statement that around 670,000 tons of food waste and a further 520,000 tons of packaging waste had been eliminated in a five year time span. Among the retailers that helped reduce the waste are Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.
According to WRAP chief executive Liz Goodwin, the evidence indicates that people are becoming increasingly aware of food waste as a national issue. She added that more householders are checking their food stocks before they shop. The eliminated food and packaging waste is estimated to be worth around 1.8 billion pounds.
Lowering waste generation within the UK will be essentially to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of land required for landfill sites. Supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda have been joined by retailers Marks & Spencer and Waitrose to also cut down the use of plastic bags by 50 per cent under a voluntary initiative.
Other measures to reduce UK packaging waste have included Coca-Cola’s pledge to use less weight in its bottles. Heinz ketchup bottles will now use more sustainable types of plastic and Kraft Foods Inc’s Cadbury unit cut the cardboard packaging used in its Easter eggs.