Tesco and Too Good To Go have called upon Defra to reconsider its decision to delay mandatory food waste reporting for at least three years, with the latter describing it as a “significant blow to the country’s food waste reduction efforts”.
Last week, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ditched its plans to make commercial food waste reporting mandatory, saying it will work with companies on a voluntary basis instead.
The plans, which had first been put forward by Michael Gove in 2018, will now be delayed until the end of 2026 at the earliest, despite 80% of respondents to a consultation saying they would be in favour of a mandate.
As the UK’s largest supermarket, Tesco has been calling on the government to introduce mandatory food waste reporting since 2019, stating that the move was “crucial” to meeting its sustainable development goals, such as halving food waste by 2030.
“Working in partnership with our suppliers, Tesco has significantly cut food waste,” a spokesperson told Sustainability Beat.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“This means more product gets to more customers at great prices. However, we need the globally-recognised principle of ‘Target, Measure, Act’, to identify food waste, and drive it out of the system,” they continued.
“Introducing mandatory food waste reporting remains a critical ask of policymakers to embed this change across the industry.”
The co-founder of food waste app Too Good To Go, Jamie Crummie, is calling on Defra to reconsider this decision, which he describes as a “significant blow” to the efforts to reduce food waste in the UK.
“I am saddened to see Defra’s decision to opt against introducing mandatory food waste reporting. It is a significant blow to the country’s food waste reduction efforts, made pressing during a cost of living crisis, and risks exacerbating dangerous environmental challenges.”
Crummie believes the government’s decision reflects a lack of urgency on the food waste crisis, undermining the UK’s pledge to the Sustainable Development Goals, which include a commitment to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.
“We urge Defra to reconsider, in light of the positive impact mandatory food waste reporting can have for businesses, the environment and society,” he continued.
“Food waste contributes to 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing the impact of the aviation industry. As we are witnessing the devastating effect of climate change first-hand across Europe this summer, a decision like this from Defra feels particularly disheartening and regressive.”
Crummie goes on to describe the decision as a setback, adding that it is vital businesses and citizens continue to recognise the impact of food waste on our environment and seek out ways to combat food waste together.
“We urge open conversations, collaboration and continued actions to tackle this pressing issue before it is too late,” he adds.
“Together, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future, where every effort counts in reducing food waste.”
