Nestlé ensures edible food doesn't go to waste with redistribution initiative

Through its Fareshare initiative, Nestlé has donated more than seven million meals to charitable courses.

Now in partnership with the Company Shop and WRAP, the consumer goods giant hopes to reduce its food waste by increasing the amount of food that is redistributed and available for charitable and commercial use.

The partners are undertaking detailed site assessments to reduce waste at its source and to find ways that part-processed products can be redistributed rather than being used for animal feed or anaerobic digestion.

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Both Nestlé and the Company Shop predict that it will increase food donations by the equivalent of two million meals annually on top of the products that already go to Fareshare.

The approach has social and environmental benefits whilst also hoping to reduce costs for manufacturers right across their supply chain and benefits the entire food sector.

Tested at a number of Nestlé's factories, the method is seen as an economically sustainable way for food manufacturers to tackle operational food waste.

Food redistribution is a key issue in the food sector as currently only 17% of the edible surplus food is being redistributed through charitable and commercial routes.

Indeed, research by WRAP has revealed that over half of the food waste generated by the UK manufacturing and retail sectors is avoidable.

Nestlé has been promoting food waste reduction with the aim of becoming a zero-waste business across its operations.

By the end of 2015, all of Nestlé's factories in the UK and Ireland have been operating with a verified zero-waste-to-landfill status.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme, a charity which operates under the name WRAP, works with governments, businesses and communities to try and improve resource efficiency.

The Company Shop is the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus that stops good food and household products going to waste.

Discussing the initiative, Nestlé UK and Ireland’s head of environmental sustainability Andy Griffiths said: “As a food manufacturer, we see food waste as a very important issue for business and society,” aid Nestlé UK and Ireland’s head of environmental sustainability Andy Griffiths.

“To help us reduce and find good uses for our surplus food we’ve been working with our partners to find innovative ways to address these issues in our supply chain but also to help the wider industry.”

“By increasing the amount of food going through charitable redistribution, collectively we can make a significant impact and help people in need as well as reduce the environmental challenges associated with food waste,” he added.