Critical Success Factors of Food Waste Voluntary Agreements

Dr Richard Swannell

Director

WRAP Global

@R_Swannell

WHAT

WRAP

DOES

Global

Sustainable

Development

Goals

Governments

& Cities

BusinessNGO’s

Citizens

© WRAP 2016

WRAP is a

not-for-profit

organisation

working with partners

in 20 countries

FOR EVERY 2 TONNES OF

FOODWE EAT

ANOTHER TONNE IS

WASTED

9.6

millionk

m²

• Financial - $940 billion

• Environmental - 3rd biggest GHG

emitter

• Social – 1 in 9 go hungry

Impact

x 10

x 6

Return on investment by sector

1200 business

sites

200 companies

17 countries

For each $1

invested $14

of financial

benefit

realised

The true cost of waste

Visible costs

Invisible costs

Disposal costs

• Lost materials

• Energy costs

• Lost labour

• Lost water

• Other costs

On average, the true

cost of wasted

materials is around ten

times the cost of

disposal.

SDG Target 12.3

“By 2030 halve per capita global food

waste at the retail and consumer level,

and reduce food losses along production

and supply chains including post-harvest

losses”

Voluntary

Agreements

Consumer

Campaigns

Evidence &

Insight

Measurement

& Monitoring

Courtauld Commitment-163 signatories

Our Approach

• Focus on hotspots

• Systemic approach

• Drive innovation

• Share best practice

• Ensure measurement &

reporting

• Encourage citizen

behaviour change

2

9

3

17

920

15

In fieldGrading

Storage

Packing and

transportation

Spoilage in kitchenPreparation

plate 25

Supply chain example: 100 potatoes

in hotel waste

eaten

Impact

• Helped reduce waste by >3.5 M tonnes in

the UK. Saving > €5 billion.

• Increased food redistribution by 50% to

43,000 t/y. Equates to 35 extra Million

meals/y.

• Signatories are nearly zero waste to

landfill.

• Overall helped deliver 19% reduction in

UK food waste.

▪ Launched in June 2012 with more than 70 signatories

▪ Established working groups to develop and share new best practice across the supply chain

▪ Grew to more than 200 signatories

▪ Signatories implemented plans to measure & reduce food waste supported by suppliers

▪ Sharing of success built momentum for change

▪ Online tools available to help businesses measure, take action and make savings

How it worked?

11% reduction in food

waste delivered

60 million Euro saved

by participating

businesses

1.5 million meals

redistributed

• Engage the supply chain

• Embedding commitment

• Mainstreaming minimization

• Building trust

Critical Success Factors

• Provides focus for action

• Provides data at a sector level

• Can drive rapid change

• Reduces costs

Conclusions