Each year, we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food in the UK. This costs each British household between £250 and £400 a year*. Recent research by the Waste Resources and Action programme (WRAP) has shown that around a half of this food could have been eaten. The main reasons for this wastage appear to be we either cook or prepare too much, or we forget food and let it go off.
The majority of our food waste, like other household waste, ends up in landfill sites. But, with space expected to run out within the next 10 years, something has to be done now to reduce the waste we dispose of in this way. This waste also impacts our climate - as rubbish decays in landfill sites it produces methane, a greenhouse gas judged to have 20 times more impact on climate change than CO2.
As a signatory to the Courtauld Commitment, Waitrose is committed to reducing the amount of packaging and food waste that is thrown away by UK households. As part of this commitment, we are actively supporting WRAP’s latest consumer campaign ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ www.lovefoodhatewaste.com 
by helping to raise awareness of the issue of food waste and providing practical information in store and online to help our Partners and customers reduce the amount of food they waste.
Waste not, want not
Here are just some of the ways Waitrose is already helping customers to get the most from the food that they buy, whilst reducing food wastage:
Clear on-pack information
In addition to information on food nutritional content, we provide clear guidance on the preparation, cooking and storage of the own-label food products we sell. This helps to ensure our customers make the most of the products they buy and enjoy them at their best.
We have recently reviewed all our back-of-pack labelling and have created new messaging designed to reduce duplication and give maximum legibility to this important information. This, we hope, will help customers to consistently locate the information most important to them.
Understanding date labels
We have given greater prominence and enhanced legibility to on pack date codes (e.g. ‘use by’, ‘best before’), to help our customers easily identify this information and assist our shop Partners with stock rotation. Our customers can also seek advice on specific products, including best consumption date information, through our Customer Careline
Portion control
Where possible, we indicate on pack a recommended serving size, as well as the total number of servings per pack. On some of our own-label packs we have also incorporated a measuring gauge to help customers more easily visualise portion size.
Meal planning tips
We provide planning information in our in store Seasons brochure to help our customers save time and money, particularly when entertaining and for special occasions like Christmas. This includes tips on what to prepare and when (for example: the night before), how to make the most of the ingredients you have and what to do with leftovers.
Functional packaging
During new product development, we constantly challenge our packaging solutions to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and ensure maximum shelf life without compromising product quality and safety. We endeavour not to add any packaging to a product other than that which is absolutely required. We also look for opportunities to provide and promote longer-term packaging solutions to food waste, for example by using reusable, resealable, or recloseable packaging.
Fighting our food waste
Waitrose has also taken steps to tackle its own food waste. We have been working with FareShare www.fareshare.org.uk to help collect and redistribute surplus ‘fit for purpose’ product from Waitrose shops, where and when this is appropriate, practical and in a position to be used by the charity.
And, to reduce the amount of food rejected because of its appearance, Waitrose now promotes visually imperfect produce for cooking and jam making through its Cooks’ Ingredients range.
Top tips on reducing food waste
- Think before you shop - more than a third of us go shopping without a list.*
- Check what you have at home before you shop.
- Make a list - it saves time and money.
- Shop with meals in mind - you’ll end up throwing less away.
- Create an online shopping list.
- Use or lose your food - 60% of us end up throwing away food because it’s passed its ‘use by’ date.*
- Plan your meals with the ‘use by’ date in mind - it will save you money.
- Know your fridge - keep an eye on what’s inside. Be mindful of the perishable food you have and plan meals to fit in with their ‘use by’ dates. This will prevent unnecessary waste.
- Befriend your fridge - 70% of our fridges are set at too high a temperature.*
- Store food according to the instructions on pack - leaving food out of the fridge can cut the life of foods like milk, cooked meats and salad by up to 100%.
- Keep your fridge between 1-5OC - this helps you get the best from your food. If your fridge doesn’t indicate actual temperature, think about investing in a fridge thermometer.
- Guidance on buying a fridge/freezer
- Love your leftovers - more than half of households say they throw away food because they’ve cooked too much.*
- Feed your garden - on average over 70% of household waste is landfilled each year. Composting reduces the amount of rubbish you put out for collection and creates a free, nutritious fertilizer that will help make your garden more beautiful.
- Compost your kitchen and garden waste. Everything from uncooked vegetable scraps to fruit peelings, teabags, coffee grounds, eggshells and small amounts of paper and soft cardboard can be home composted.
- Many councils sell home composters, often at a reduced cost. You can also buy compost bins from local garden centres and DIY stores. Visit www.recyclenow.com or www.recycle-more.co.uk for more information on home composting.
* Source of statistics: WRAP (they’ve in turn sourced the info from DEFRA, WHO and Waste Not, Want Not).
For more information on packaging reduction, waste and recycling at Waitrose and John Lewis visit www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/ourresponsibilities