wrap packaging waste

The IGD has kicked off its second annual ‘Working on Waste’ campaign, aimed at inspiring food and drink industry employees to do what they can to tackle food waste.

Last year, the campaign reached about 650,000 employees in the industry across 77 fmcg and associated companies. 

This year, IGD said the campaign was set to be bigger, with more than 100 companies ranging from retailers, manufacturers and foodservice companies to SMEs already signed up.

IGD is also looking to further support the campaign, which is being run in association with Wrap, with social media, digital, in-store and PR activity.

Companies will deliver a mixture of food waste training and employee engagement, with activities including sharing top tips on reducing household food waste and weekly competitions run by IGD to find the industry’s ‘food waste soldiers’. 

“A lot of progress has been made already by companies across the industry to help consumers reduce household food waste. However, seven million tonnes of food and drink are still being thrown away by UK homes every year, costing consumers £12.5bn - so there’s more work to be done,” said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch.

“As an industry, we take our role very seriously in helping to tackle household food waste and this is a great showcase of the difference we can make collectively through our scale and collaboration.” 

Wrap director Dr Richard Swannell said: “The number of people from the food sector inspired to take action [in 2014] and cut their own household food waste was impressive. This year, we want it to go even further and help many more reduce food waste, thereby saving money and reducing our impact on the environment.”