Press releases
issued on behalf of Champions 12.3’
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (November 16, 2022) – Timed with COP27, the new ‘123 Pledge’ kicked off to accelerate action to reduce food loss and waste worldwide. The Pledge challenges governments, businesses, chefs and other important actors in the food system to commit to concrete steps that will make reducing food loss and waste a part of their action agendas on greenhouse gas emissions.
WRAP’S latest Retail Survey shows that actions are being taken on how food is labelled by retailers and brands to help people avoid food waste happening at home. However, with COP27 fresh in people’s minds, the climate action NGO also warns that more needs to be done to help curb the impact the UK’s food waste is having on climate change.
- WRAP finds lack of consistency across circular economy pledges made in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that could hugely undermine climate action efforts.
- Only 79 countries have directly committed to adopting a circular economy through their NDCs (October 2022) - 27 are part of the European Union and have the same NDC, and 52 are non-EU).
- See CIRCULAR ECONOMY: FROM COMMITMENTS TO ACTION - A watching brief on Nationally Determined Contributions
- WRAP found that of the 193 countries submitting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) only nine commit to reducing food waste. With current global food production likely to push the Earth beyond the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. if nothing done, WRAP warns this lack of commitment to food waste reduction risks undermining climate action efforts.
- Read the full report: Food Loss and Waste: From Commitments to Action
WRAP is pleased to announce that Kenwood, Lidl and Panasonic are confirmed sponsors for Food Waste Action Week (FWAW) 2023. Ocado Retail led the way becoming the first sponsor in August 2022.
Halloween is almost upon us, and to get into the spooky spirit of the season we’re sharing our Recycle Now and Love Food Hate Waste tips and tricks for a more sustainable Halloween!
Data released for Recycle Week 2022 reveals that we are a nation of ‘wish cyclers’, spurring Recycle Now to call on the public to come together and ‘get real’ about recycling
- 84% of households are contaminating their recycling through well-intended ‘wish cycling’.
- People age 55+ are the most clued up when it comes to recycling, with Gen Z the most confused.
- Glass is the number one contaminate – with many households mistakenly adding old/broken drinking glasses to their recycling.
- Recycle Now urges people to ‘get real’ about recycling and use their handy Recycling Locator tool.
The Courtauld Commitment 2030 has expanded its reach with a new Courtauld Affiliates membership, developed to enable businesses who are part of the Food System, but don’t manufacture or retail food and drink, to support its transformation.
- While textiles and fashion are responsible for between 4% - 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, WRAP finds the average UK adult has 118 items of clothing in their wardrobes of which one quarter (26% - 31 items) were unworn for at least a year.
- Adult UK population spends estimated £4 billion plus** shopping for clothes each month. And while many already buy and sell pre-loved clothes, more are open to alternatives schemes to ‘buy new’ shopping like subscriptions, preloved and rental.
- A fashion revolution could help clothe the nation sustainably, says WRAP.
- New study from WRAP and Hellmann’s shows that 45% of people say[1] they are throwing away the same amount of food or more per week than this time last year (AUS 42%, CAN 43% UK 48% US 47%).
- 1 in 3 people report they throw away the equivalent to one shopping bag of food per week, despite food waste costing families approximately £780 per year (ALL- 31% AUS 30%, CAN 29% UK 29% US 34%).
- 1 in 2 people say they would value more support to be more resourceful with their food (ALL- 47% AUS 49%, CAN 46% UK 44% US 48%).