Food waste

Sustainable food - it’s not just about waste

Food is our fuel, there are significant challenges ahead in securing food supplies for the world’s growing population, the food we eat has a significant impact on our health, and for those of us in the waste industry food waste represents 1/3 of municipal waste, and when disposed of in landfill, produces methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases.

More significantly, we are only now beginning to realise the full environmental burden of food waste in terms of the lost resources used across the whole supply chain: from farm to fork.

Work we have done, or are doing in this area covers the full range of services and includes:

Evaluation of WRAP’s food waste trials and support to local authorities in the design and roll out of food waste collections.
Recent focus has included the recognition of the food waste reduction impact of introducing food waste collections and linking this with reviews of waste prevention strategies.
National research regarding waste composition and waste arisings means that we have an excellent understanding of waste data and trends and can advise on the impact on food waste of different interventions, collections, promotional activities etc. This area is also of interest to the organics processing industry particularly with regard to predicting the composition of feedstock.
Contributing to national research into food waste in supply chains, and an international study into the waste drivers’ in relation to food security issues to 2050.
Love Food Hate Waste – promotion and public engagement including GMWDA, NLWDA – two of the largest waste disposal authorities in the UK
Food waste in schools – including composting on site and food waste collections in schools – pilots and roll out of collections in Bristol (including in schools workshops, teaching materials as well as liaison with caretakers, kitchen staff and contractors). We are currently undertaking research work for WRAP regarding food waste in schools.
Community engagement on food waste issues – working with our 26 community action groups in Oxfordshire – an approach which develops skills and expertise in the community within a supporting network of groups.
Commercial food waste collections pilots.

We have identified food issues as being an important area for development in the future and are able to offer a range of products and services for those organisations wishing to tackle food waste issues. We are also interested in exploring with others how these issues relate to other policy agendas including healthy eating, food supply and promotion of allotments and growing your own food.

For more information on any of our services, call us now on 0117 9304355.

Project Synopses

Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste

The contribution of greenhouse gases and in particular carbon dioxide to climate change is widely recognised, and reducing our emissions is now a priority. Several key areas have been identified for action, one of which is food waste.

Kent CC food waste collection trials

Resource Futures undertook work for WRAP ROTATE to produce an outline plan for trialling separate food waste collections in Dartford, Maidstone, Sevenoaks and Swale (Kent).

Engaging the Residents of North London with Love Food Hate Waste

Resource Futures recruited and managed two embedded Outreach Workers to support the North London Waste Authority’s, WRAP funded, Love Food Hate Waste campaign. During the seven month period, the Outreach Workers organised and delivered over sixty roadshows in supermarkets, businesses, libraries and at community groups, across NLWA’s seven constituent boroughs, to engage more than 3,500 people with the campaign.