Food Wastage Hits Headlines

This figure is not an anomaly, with the Waste and Resources Action Programme advising that 15 million tonnes of food was wasted in 2015. One of the main products being highlighted as a major cause for concern is salad bags, with Tesco admitting to 68 per cent of their salad bags being disposed of – 35 per cent by consumers and 33 per cent by Tesco themselves.

The supermarket has suggested that selling smaller salad bags could stop this trend for wastage, a view shared by salad producer, Dr Steve Rothwell, founder of Steve’s Leaves, who said, “We’re committed to the Love Food Hate Waste campaign and minimise waste wherever we can. Food waste is a major problem for the leafy salads industry but as a brand we are dedicated to reducing food wastage by making sure that our salad bags are suited to our customers’ lifestyles. We use a revolutionary system which means Steve’s Leaves are chilled within 60 minutes of them being harvested, they’re packed in a controlled environment to ensure they stay fresh and tasty for as long as possible – once any bag of salad is opened, this protective atmosphere is lost – so our bags are smaller and can be used in one go, rather than languishing open in the fridge for days before being thrown in the bin.”

Dr Rothwell’s techniques could well be the answer to this issue with regards to salad, but how the wider matter is resolved is yet to be seen.

Philip Simpson, commercial director of ReFood, a body which in February 2011 set up ‘Vision 2020: The future of the food waste recycling sector’, a scheme aiming to eradicate food wastage in landfill by the end of the decade said, “The message is clear; food waste is a valuable resource that should never end up in landfill sites. Everyone from the food producer, through to the retailer, the restaurant and the householder can play their part in ensuring that we take full advantage of its considerable potential, by ensuring we re-use, recycle and recover every nutrient and kilowatt of energy it has to offer. By separating and dealing with food waste effectively, we can unlock all of its value while also removing it as a contaminant to other waste streams. This will ensure high-quality, commercially-viable, recyclable materials across the board, helping to return billions of pounds to the UK economy.”