{"id":8426,"date":"2026-08-11T14:39:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newtonimpact.com\/?post_type=content_library&p=8426"},"modified":"2026-08-11T15:19:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:19:28","slug":"stepping-up-to-the-plate-how-suppliers-are-reacting-to-pressure-to-reduce-food-waste-and-save-surplus","status":"publish","type":"content_library","link":"https:\/\/newtonimpact.com\/en-us\/content-library\/blog\/stepping-up-to-the-plate-how-suppliers-are-reacting-to-pressure-to-reduce-food-waste-and-save-surplus\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping up to the plate: How suppliers are reacting to pressure to reduce food waste and save surplus\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Take Me Back<\/a>\n\n

Stepping up to the plate: How suppliers are reacting to pressure to reduce food waste and save surplus\u00a0<\/h1>\n

By Mike Humphrey<\/p>\n\n

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Director <\/p>\n <\/span>\n \n

Blog<\/p>\n <\/span>\n \n

6 min<\/p>\n <\/span>\n \n

11th August 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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There is the potential for the food and drink sector to provide a billion extra meals to people in need by reducing food waste, recovering surplus and reinvesting savings. <\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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Newton Director, Mike Humphrey, reveals why suppliers are pivotal to those plans to increase surplus recovery in the UK, and how they are responding to growing pressure to do the right thing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We will keep supporting those who need it most.<\/em>” The words used to introduce the National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food earlier this year may sound simple. Look closely, and they\u2019re packed with meaning. That single word \u2018keep\u2019 makes the country\u2019s commitment to consistently, always<\/em> saving more food and helping more people crystal clear. It is about doing good, for good. It is about industry-wide change.<\/p>\n

The food is there to be rescued: 89k tonnes of unpreventable surplus is wasted each year (1). At the same time, there is no shortage of demand for it: food prices have risen for 91% of people (2). One in seven households with children are struggling to afford food, risking pushing more people into buying cheaper calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods to get by (3).<\/p>\n

Already, the government redistribution programme is creating momentum. \u201cIt\u2019s aligned us as a redistribution sector,\u201d says Ali Gourley, Senior Public Affairs Manager at the UK\u2019s food rescue network, Felix. Newton works closely with the charity to help organisations contribute to recovery efforts. \u201cThis feels different,\u201d Ali told us.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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“We are rallying behind the ten-year target and we will hit it, if government moves on policy and \u2013 this is vital \u2013 if the food industry moves with us.”<\/p>\n \n Ali Gourley , Senior Public Affairs Manager <\/span>\n Felix <\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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So, how can we?<\/p>\n

All eyes on supply – why the industry is focused on factories<\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n\n
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Retailers will continue to play a vital role in achieving the national target to triple the amount of surplus food redistributed (4) over the next decade.<\/p>\n

Supermarkets visibly contribute to their communities, donating millions of meals a year.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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We all regularly see the shelves at the exits to donate pasta and tinned goods. <\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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The \u2018Let\u2019s make a meal of it\u2019 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).<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 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?<\/p>\n

Research within The Waste Equation<\/a> (6) report suggests so, showing a cost-effective opportunity to recover surplus earlier in the supply chain \u2013 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:<\/p>\n