Stepping up to the plate: How suppliers are reacting to pressure to reduce food waste and save surplus 

The ‘Let’s make a meal of it’ fundraising campaign, where money is raised at the tills of leading grocers, has a huge impact each year, and 57 million meals were donated through one initiative alone between retailers and Felix in 2022/3 (5).

Packed and labelled, food within retailers can be transported easily to frontline charities to reach millions of people experiencing food insecurity. That convenience is not free: packing and labelling costs, as does moving the food to and from the supermarkets, not to mention margins. Retailers (and their customers) want to do the right thing with round-up donations – and understandably this is their focus as it is where they have the most visibility. But can they have an even greater effect by working with their supply chain to undertake more recovery?

Research within The Waste Equation (6) report suggests so, showing a cost-effective opportunity to recover surplus earlier in the supply chain – within suppliers. The report was created by Newton in collaboration with Felix and Alliance Food Sourcing, part of IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution). It shows that:

• It costs  £1.12  for a balanced meal to reach the retail shelf.
• To manufacture a balanced meal costs  50p – less than half as much.
• The average cost to recover a meal from within factories is even less – just  17p.

So, buying food at retail price is more expensive than supporting food recovery or funding food produced at cost price by manufacturers. It is not markedly simpler either. Yes, within factories, food is not always yet packed and labelled but even unpackaged items are easy to safely move to charities with processes Felix has developed – and the savings are significant.

If every manufacturer in the country cut their waste and contributed the remaining edible surplus, 89k tonnes would be recovered. That is the equivalent of 212 million extra meals reaching people through charities like Felix, and local charities and community groups every year.

While the pressures and opportunity are significant, changes that make a real difference do not need to be.

For suppliers reviewing their operations, there are opportunities to reduce waste and recover more in six areas: preparation, operations, quality control, giveaway, changeover and planning. Once identified, recovering the surplus requires only simple process changes – for instance, placing edible surplus into large plastic boxes and leaving them in the same place each week for volunteers to collect.

Contributing food consistently in this way is the key to charities being able to plan, cook and share healthy meals with people when they need them. One-off rescues of large volumes of food or innovative projects funded for a year may create headlines, but it is regular, expected food, even in small amounts, that builds the certainty charities need to do their best work. “Suppliers who build surplus recovery into the rhythm of how they operate every day make the greatest difference to communities,” says Ali.

Barfoots, the vegetable grower and manufacturer, provides a standout example. It repackages the edible offcuts from preparing and packaging its butternut squash and sweet potatoes. These packages are then collected by Felix volunteers. “Look at your waste through a different lens,” says Steve Brown, Head of Customer Technical. “It is an alternative stream for repurposing to help people and charitable organisations.”

Suppliers who react to this moment of pressure by collaborating with organisations elsewhere in the supply chain, taking a fresh look at their operations and adapting their ways of working are onto a win-win. Not only will they reduce costs and increase competitiveness, but they will help the industry keep supporting those who need it the most.

To find where in everyday operations there are chances to recover even small amounts of food regularly, the IGD’s Alliance Food Sourcing carries out a 15-minute call to introduce its approach. This is followed by factory visits, with Newton where required, to spot opportunities in preparation, operations, quality control, giveaway, changeover and planning to achieve a flow of food to charities. Get in touch to join the companies leading the way in food redistribution.

Find out more

The National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food builds on the work of the Coronation Food Project inspired by His Majesty the King. The programme was launched following the publication of The Waste Equation report, which was shaped by Felix, IGD’s Alliance Food Sourcing team and Newton. It reveals how the food and drink industry can reduce food waste, recover more surplus to people who need it and use savings to reinvest in creating more good food to donate. Read the full report.