UK food redistribution up, but there’s still work to be done

The amount of food saved from becoming waste continues to rise significantly in the UK.

But climate action NGO WRAP warns that each year nearly 200,000 tonnes of perfectly good food still go to waste in the supply chain.

Against a backdrop of rising food prices and impacts on the supply chain, the collective efforts of the UK’s retailers, food manufacturers, hospitality and food service businesses and voluntary sector have still managed a 16% increase in surplus food redistribution in 2021.

In that year alone, more than 106,000 tonnes of surplus food - the equivalent of 253 million meals - were redistributed via charitable and commercial outlets with a value of more than £330 million. In 2021, charities handled six times more surplus food than in 2015.

The commercial sector took the bulk of surplus food from manufacturers in 2021, with retail the largest supplier to the charitable sector. The hospitality and food service sector continues to increase the tonnage of surplus food it redistributes.

The types of food redistributed remain similar, with the amount of fresh meat and fish, drinks and ambient food doubling between 2019 and 2021, while fresh produce, dairy, chilled pre-prepared and frozen food all fell in 2021, with bakery and chilled-prepared foods now lower than in 2019.

Catherine David, Director Collaboration and Change at WRAP, says: “It’s devastating to see how much food continues to be wasted from supply chains when so many people are struggling to afford the basics, and food redistributors say they can take more”

“Whilst we welcome the increased amount of food being redistributed in the UK, we know there is a huge amount of good food – 200,000 tonnes of it every year – that could be feeding people.”

“Wasting food also feeds climate change, as all the resources taken to produce the food are thrown in the bin with it.”

“We urge all food businesses and their suppliers to adopt our guidance on redistribution as a priority and help more food get to the people who need it. The surplus food is there, and there is so much more that could be saved at this difficult time for UK families.”

The aforementioned figures were announced as Defra Minister for Food, Victoria Prentis, attended the one-year anniversary of the opening of London-based food redistribution charity The Felix Project’s depot in Poplar.

This received an £800,000 Government grant under the Resource Action Fund, administered by WRAP on behalf of Defra, which enabled the charity to develop and furnish a new depot beside its existing kitchen and expand the amount of food it handles.

Charlotte Hill, CEO at The Felix Project, says: "In the last three years The Felix Project has increased redistribution of surplus food from six million meals to an incredible 40 million meals rescued and delivered for those most in need.”

“We are so thankful to Defra for generously funding our newest East London depot, allowing us the extra capacity to rescue more good food than ever before.”

“Now, in the face of a worsening cost-of-living crisis, it is even more vital that we work together to get food to our 1000 community partners across London and to maximise the social value of this surplus food.”

Food wasteStaff WriterWRAP, Food waste, Food redistribution, Cost of living crisis, UK retail, Supply chain, Food retailers, SupermarketsComment