Manufacturing and retail waste reduced

WRAP has published the second interim report of Courtauld Commitment 3, which shows that manufacturing and retail waste has significantly reduced against the baseline 2012 figure.

Activity by signatories has helped achieve a considerable reduction in traditional grocery ingredient, product and packaging waste in the manufacturing and retail operations of participants, down 80,000 tonnes against the 2012 baseline. This shows strong progress towards the target standing at 3.2 per cent after the first two years, against the overall three per cent target by 2015 for the agreement.

The latest figures also show that efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with packaging continue to exceed the target of maintaining a zero increase level of CO2 emissions. The latest figures show a sustained positive reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 3.9 per cent.

Progress remains well ahead of the packaging target, despite a backdrop of growing sales. Changes in the mix of packaging materials and increases in recycling rates resulted in the overall reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, despite packaging weight actually increasing by 0.7 per cent over this same period. The increase in packaging weight itself was for single use transit packaging, rather than household (primary) packaging, which continues to decrease by weight.

Progress against the household food waste target is not collected annually, and 2015 data will be available for final year reporting in 2016.

Dr Richard Swannell, director of Sustainable Food Systems at WRAP, says: “I’m delighted with the progress towards targets in the first two years of the Courtauld Commitment Phase 3.

“What makes Courtauld so effective is the sector wide approach to tackling the most impactful areas. Not just thinking about what will help your business, but what will make a more environmentally and economically effective supply chain.

“It’s important we continue to strive in the final year of Courtauld Phase 3 and push the boundaries in the preparation for Courtauld 2025.”