• Home
  • News
  • In-depth
  • Opinion
  • Energy
    • Wind
    • Marine
    • Solar
    • Biomass
    • Nuclear
    • CCS
    • Infrastructure
  • Policy
    • Politics
    • Legislation
    • Taxation
  • Management
    • Marketing
    • Risk
    • Skills
    • Incentives
    • Carbon Accounting
  • Technology
    • Waste
    • Recycling
    • R&D
    • Efficiency
    • IT
  • Investment
    • Carbon Trading
    • Offsets
    • Venture Capital
  • Net Zero Now
  • Events & Awards
  • SDG Hub
  • Industry Voice
  • Newsletters
  • Sign in
  •  
      • Newsletters
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
    • You are currently accessing BusinessGreen via your Enterprise account.

      If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

      If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

      Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

      Email: [email protected]

      • Sign in
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Newsletters
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • Free Trial
  • Subscribe
  • Events & Awards
    • Upcoming events
      event logo
      NZF Pathway - Finance

      This exclusive half day online event will investigate how all businesses can support and accelerate the transition to low and net zero carbon buildings, while maximising the financial and productivity opportunities that will result.

      • Date: 16 Mar 2021
      • Online Event
      event logo
      Net Zero Festival 2021

      Net Zero Festival is the world's first business festival dedicated to exploring, advancing, and celebrating the global transition to a net zero emission economy. Join us at BusinessGreen's Net Zero Festival – for leaders who won't wait until 2050 to build a better business, and a better world.

      • Date: 27 Sep 2021
      • Worldwide
      View all events
  • SDG Hub
Business Green
Business Green
  • Home
  • News
  • In-depth
  • Opinion
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Management
  • Technology
  • Investment
  • Net Zero Now
 
    • Newsletters
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
  • You are currently accessing BusinessGreen via your Enterprise account.

    If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

    If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

    Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

    Email: [email protected]

    • Sign in
  • Hot topics
  • Green recovery
  • Net Zero Now
  • Net Zero Leadership
  • Net Zero Finance
Bg bnp hub ribbon
  • Waste

Michael Gove calls on business community to crack down on food waste

Michael Gove wants businesses to cut food waste
Michael Gove wants businesses to cut food waste
  • Toby Hill and James Murray
  • 08 May 2019
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
0 Comments

Environment Secretary calls on food, retail, and hospitality firms to commit to new food waste targets, as government awards first trance of food redistribution funding

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has issued an urgent plea for companies to commit to ambitious new targets to cut food waste levels across the UK. 

Decrying the "moral, economic, and environmental scandal of food waste", on Monday Gove urged food and hospitality firms, alongside celebrity chefs and social media influencers, to work together to take tougher action to tackle food waste. 

Related articles

  • Mars and DHL plot £350m UK logistics hubs to slash one million road miles
  • Drax launches green skills drive to 'boost social mobility for one million people'
  • Aegon commits to net zero across its default pension funds by 2050
  • Smart home energy market the focus of new consumer protection drive

The plea comes ahead of the 'Step up to the Plate' symposium next week, hosted by the government's Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot. 

Attendees at the event will be asked to adopt the IDG's Food Waste Reduction Road Map and halve food waste by 2030, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. They will also be asked to use their voice and profile to empower and encourage citizens to curb waste, including the younger generation.

Gove said he had already committed to the pledge, which will also require a shift in personal buying habits to make sure no food goes to waste at home. 

"Together, we must end the moral, economic, and environmental scandal of food waste," Gove said. "The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge so we can bring about real change."

"Every year, around 100,000 tonnes of readily available and perfectly edible food goes uneaten," he added. "It's time to join together and 'Step up to the Plate' to stop good food going to waste."

The news comes just a few days after the Scottish government launched its Food Waste Reduction Action Plan (FWRAP) in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, with the aim of reducing Scotland's food waste by one third by 2025. 

Around £1.1bn of food is thrown away every year in Scotland alone. Left to rot in landfills, it produces damaging greenhouses gases such as methane, fuelling climate change.

To tackle the issue, the Scottish government plans to expand local food waste collection facilities, which in turn deliver food waste to Anaerobic Digestion facilities where it is converted into green energy in the form of biogas.

There are currently 50 AD plants in Scotland, and the plan has created fresh opportunities to invest in green technology, according to renewable energy investor Privilege Finance. 

"I would recommend that interested parties near large towns and cities get in touch with their local councils to understand if there are opportunities to develop AD facilities to process food waste in their local areas," said business development manager Chris Negus.

Gove's comments also came ahead of the confirmation today of the first wave of funding from the government's £15m food waste reduction fund.

Defra announced over £4m is to be shared by four food redistribution projects across England. The successful bids - from Fareshare, Company Shop Group, The Felix Project and Food Works Sheffield - will receive funding from the first tranche of the scheme, helping them to ensure more waste food is collected from manufacturers and retailers and distributed to those facing food poverty.

Solutions supported by the funding include work to develop new supply routes from growers and local distributors, fund new lines and additional staff and increase capacity for repackaging and labelling.

A further round of funding will focus on improving infrastructure for companies to redistribute even more of the estimated 100,000 tonnes of food - equating to 250 million meals a year - which is edible and readily available but goes uneaten, Defra said.

"Food waste is unnecessary and morally unforgivable," said Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey. "We must end it, and our £15m fund is a true game-changer in making that happen. I am thrilled that this first round of funding will allow these terrific projects to redistribute even more perfectly good food, making sure it ends up where it belongs - on people's plates and stomachs."

  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Waste
  • Technology
  • food waste
  • anaerobic digestion

More on Waste

Carbon neutral Formula E team Envision Virgin Racing has joined forces with the UN COP26 climate summit to drive the EV revolution
    • Technology
Electric racing pioneers partner with COP26 to accelerate EV revolution
    • Technology
    • 14 January 2021
CCEP warehouses are powered by clean energy
    • Management
The real thing: Coca Cola European Partners' Joe Franses unpacks the drinks giant's net zero agenda
    • Management
    • 13 January 2021
The study analysed microplastics collected by icebreakers traversing the Arctic Ocean
    • Waste
Is laundry fuelling the marine plastics crisis?
    • Waste
    • 13 January 2021
A ship leaves the dock at Stanlow oil refinery | Credit: korhil65
    • Technology
Essar and Progressive Energy plot £750m hydrogen CCS hub in Cheshire
    • Technology
    • 13 January 2021
Electric vehicle giant Tesla last year became the world's most valuable car manufacturer
    • Science
Positive 'tipping points': How clean technologies could be on the cusp of exponential growth
    • Science
    • 11 January 2021
Credit: Aveda
    • Supply chain
What we can learn from Aveda's blockchain vanilla traceability project
    • Supply chain
    • 08 January 2021
Green distilleries fund will help whisky production go green
    • Technology
Distilleries receive first phase of £10m green whisky fund
    • Technology
    • 08 January 2021
Nissan's Leaf (pictured) and e-NV200 models are both capable of vehicle-to-grid charging
    • BusinessGreen
Back two-way EV charging technology to slash costs and emissions, white paper urges
    • BusinessGreen
    • 08 January 2021

More news

Global Briefing: Saudi Arabia plots car-free city stretching 100 miles
  • Management
Global Briefing: Saudi Arabia plots car-free city stretching 100 miles

Plus Danish diets, China climate policy signals, and all the top green business news from around the world this week

  • 15 January 2021
From taxes to targets: How can the UK curb its offshore carbon emissions?
  • Carbon Trading
From taxes to targets: How can the UK curb its offshore carbon emissions?

Major report makes the case for new carbon tax on imported goods and goods, as the Environment Secretary reveals the UK's climate targets could eventually cover carbon embodied in imported goods

  • 15 January 2021
Scaling up sustainable finance: How can investors accelerate the net zero transition?
  • Investment
Scaling up sustainable finance: How can investors accelerate the net zero transition?

As the sustainable finance sector booms, asset managers and owners are under increasing pressure to use their financial clout to steer a greener future

  • 15 January 2021
What will it take for 2021 to be a groundbreaking year for circular fashion?
  • Supply chain
What will it take for 2021 to be a groundbreaking year for circular fashion?

More than 100 billion garments are produced annually, and many end up in the landfill

  • 15 January 2021
blog comments powered by Disqus
Back to Top

Most read

Mars and DHL plot £350m UK logistics hubs to slash one million road miles
Mars and DHL plot £350m UK logistics hubs to slash one million road miles
Terra Carta: Prince of Wales launches green recovery charter for business
Terra Carta: Prince of Wales launches green recovery charter for business
'Environmentally regressive': UK government approves use of bee-harming pesticide banned in EU
'Environmentally regressive': UK government approves use of bee-harming pesticide banned in EU
Unilever and Alibaba launch 'world first' AI-powered closed-loop recycling system
Unilever and Alibaba launch 'world first' AI-powered closed-loop recycling system
10 green business trends to watch out for in 2021
10 green business trends to watch out for in 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Marketing solutions
  • About Incisive Media
  • Terms and conditions
  • Policies
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Incisive Footer Logo

© Incisive Business Media (IP) Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR, registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 09177174 & 09178013

Digital publisher of the year
Digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2017
Loading