The issues
Consumers increasingly expect food and drink retailers to deliver sustainability measures in their operations, in the products that they sell, and in their supply chains.
Awareness of the food system’s contribution to climate change, deforestation, water stress, food waste and other sustainability challenges is on the increase, and there are significant commercial and reputational benefits from taking action.
What is WRAP doing?
By working with WRAP your organisation can improve processes, find new techniques and work toward implementing best practice in your supply chain.
Action on food waste
Using WRAP's tools and guidance, food and drink businesses can work out what types of waste to measure and how to measure it. By working with WRAP your organisation can improve processes, find new techniques and implement best practice in your supply chain.
Courtauld Associates
Our new level of membership enables even more organisations to enjoy the benefits.
Reducing water stress
With WWF, the Rivers Trust, Business in the Community and other leading experts we’ve created the Water Ambition, a collaborative programme that works on a localised level, dealing directly at source with issues specific within key catchment areas.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
With nearly 150 million tonnes of CO2e linked to the production, distribution, consumption and disposal of the food and drink we consume in the UK, Courtauld 2025 is taking collaborative action to deliver carbon reduction at scale.
Date labelling and on-pack guidance
Key information on how to apply food date labels, storage and freezing advice to ensure food is safe to eat, reduce consumer food waste and remove barriers to redistribution.
Surplus food redistribution
Making sure no good food goes to waste.
International projects
WRAP’s holistic view of the food supply chain from farm to fork means we’re able to provide retailers with independent strategic and technical support in addressing some of the systemic issues that cause one third of the food we produce globally to be wasted.
Citizen behaviour change
We work in close collaboration with retailers at the cutting edge of behaviour change to help citizens waste less food.
What can my organisation do?
1. Reduce supply chain food waste. Using WRAP’s research and guidance, leading retailers are working with their supply chain partners to refine their processes that cut out waste. A key part of reducing food waste in retail requires whole chain solutions, with organisations working together to find areas where waste reduction can be achieved. Organisations who work with other companies across their supply chain can make substantial changes that bring about both environmental and economic benefits for all organisations involved.
2. Reduce water stress. Understand the water-related risks in the areas where you and your supply chains operate - a useful tool for this is the WWF Water Risk Filter. Monitor water use and improve water efficiency in operations under your direct influence. This is the first step in effective water management and will have a bottom line benefit.
3. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many food and drink businesses are – or are considering - setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their supply chain in response to national and international targets. At the same time, many are facing the same challenge regarding how to robustly track progress against these targets. WRAP has identified a need for uniformity in GHG accounting; as well as a need for businesses in different parts of the supply chain to work together on reporting requirements.