IT MIGHT not be quite as exciting as a card on Valentines Day, but a new initiative to matchmake UK businesses with their ideal food waste partners is being launched this Spring. The Food Waste Network (FWN) has been created by Vegware, a firm which makes compostable packaging. The free service will enable those in the foodservice industry to identify the best waste companies to deal with their food waste. Vegware has talked to every food waste recycler in the UK in order to create the network. The website will be up and running in Spring, but foodservice companies can send their postcode to recycle@foodwastenetwork. org.uk to see what services are in their area before then.
Vegware’s is an admirable project, but it has a long way to go until it becomes the most admired brand in packaging. That honour recently went to Innocent. Packaging professionals have chosen the smoothie maker as their most admired brand for its environmental approach to packaging. EasyFairs asked almost 300 packaging experts to name a brand that they really admired for its green packaging approach, and one in 10 (10%) chose Innocent. This was closely followed by Marks & Spencer (7%) and Kenco (5%). To have 10% of the votes, when the experts could have chosen any brand, is testament to the progress made by Innocent. (And its not just packaging where gains are being made, as those attending the December Footprint Forum at Innocent HQ found out). What Innocent does well too, is communicate. Not many others are following that lead, with over a quarter (27%) surveyed, admitting that they were doing lots when it comes to environmental packaging but not shouting about it.
Just as important is communication within the industry. Last year, Unilever Food Solutions launched its Wise up on Waste toolkit a simple waste audit to help companies cut waste and save cash. Some businesses, like The Six Bells, are already making progress and significantly reducing the amount of food waste coming back on customers plates the Hertfordshire pub has saved £20 a week on procurement simply by changing its salad garnish to one that costs less and more customers eat rather than leave on the plate. More case studies here www.youtube.com/unitedagainstwaste
