WRAP will trailblaze a new week of action in March 2021 to wake the nation up to the environmental consequences of wasting food.

 The inaugural Food Waste Action Week will run from Monday 1 to Sunday 7 March 2021, and will bring together organisations from retailers to local authorities, restaurants to manufacturers, and beyond. WRAP will work with a variety of partners to show that wasted food is an issue that affects everyone – and the planet. Wasted food contributes 8–10% of total man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and roughly one third of food produced around the world is wasted.

WRAP has been a driving force in reducing the amount of food wasted in the UK, launching the landmark Courtauld Commitment in 2005, and Love Food Hate Waste in 2007. Since then, the UK’s annual food waste has reduced from 11.2 million tonnes to 9.5 million tonnes, with WRAP taking a leading role in creating this significant progress. WRAP is now reinforcing its work in citizen food waste prevention, which will be a key focus for the Food Waste Action Week.

 The climate emergency continues to matter to UK citizens, meaning that partners have a crucial opportunity to support the Food Waste Action Week and appeal to people’s hearts and minds. Reaching citizens of all ages with this message is essential for creating lasting change and reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving food waste by 2030.

The Week will also focus on the Hospitality and Food Service sector, looking at what changes they can implement to ensure as little food as possible is thrown away. Building on the success of the 2019 Stand Up For Food month, this will shine a light on how Hospitality and Food Service businesses across the UK can reduce the 1.1 million tonnes of food wasted annually – a lot of which comes from food ordered but not eaten.

Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP, said:

“The climate crisis remains one of the biggest and most urgent challenges facing humanity. Wasted food has a significant contribution to climate change, and is something we need to address together. WRAP has the data and research to demonstrate the reality of the issue – what we need is for partners to get this date in the diary, and join us in the Food Waste Action Week activities to make wasting food a thing of the past.”

 Ben Elliot, Food Surplus and Waste Champion, said:

“The Food Waste Action Week next March is going to be crucial for raising everyone’s awareness of wasted food as an environmental concern. I urge businesses from across the food industry to lend their support to this week of action, working with WRAP to share these vital messages and make essential changes that can reduce wasted food.”

WRAP encourages any partners who are interested in taking part in the Food Waste Action Week to get in touch to discuss the plans for this ground-breaking, cross-industry event. Food is a precious resource; working together, we can prevent it being needlessly wasted and protect the planet.