Our friends at WRAP just released a comprehensive study on UK food and drink waste throughout the supply chain. I know I sound like a broken record about WRAP, but the British semi-governmental agency keeps releasing important findings on waste. [Note: this research includes drink and packaging waste]
The study, which you can read in its entirety, found that British households create about 65 percent of the waste. By comparison, the manufacture of these items results in 27 percent of total waste.
That news is both good and bad. Good, because it means individuals like you and me can really impact food waste. Bad, because reducing food waste will be more of a piecemeal effort. If the numbers were reversed, a few wholesale changes in the food manufacturing industry would yield major changes, quickly.
Not surprisngly, the British press has started reporting on the findings. It’s always interesting to see the different takes. Sometimes the headlines are about the cost (£17 billion). Other times it’s the sheer amount of waste. And the first article discusses the environmental impact, too.
It must be so very useful to have such detailed data on food waste. Perhaps one day, we’ll have similar stuff in the ol’ U.S. of A. Perhaps.