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TRANSCRIPT
1 1
Food Waste Reduction
Action Plan
1
2 3
Contents
Ministerial Foreword 3
Executive Summary 5
Introduction 9
FoodWasteisaGlobalProblem 9
ActingonFoodWaste:Scotland’s2025FoodWasteTarget 11
Why do we need a food waste action plan? 12
PlanningforSuccess:Scotland’sFoodWasteActionPlan 12
Whatisfoodwaste? 12
Theimpactoflandfillfoodwaste 12
Acirculareconomyapproachtofoodwaste 13
Valuingourfood 13
Where we are 15
Acollaborativeeffort 15
Foodrecyclingavailability 16
Thefoodwastehierarchy 17
Landfillban 17
Where we need to be – a call to action 19
Action areas and measures 23
Improved monitoring and infrastructure 24
Sector leadership 26
Public engagement and communication 30
Supporting delivery of a new approach to food waste 33
Measuring progress and demonstrating success 36
Leadership,governanceanddelivery 36
Investingforsuccess 36
Measuringprogress 36
What success will look like 39
Case studies 40
InourClimateChangePlanwecommittedtoanambitioustargetofreducingScotland’sfoodwasteby33%by2025.ThisActionPlansetsoutanumberofmeasuresthatwillsupportthedeliveryofthistarget.
Scotlandisacountryinternationallyrenownedforitsfoodanddrink.OurcommitmentistobeaGoodFoodNationby2025.Thismeansacountrywherepeoplefromeverywalkoflifetakeprideandpleasurein,andbenefitfrom,thefoodtheyproduce,buy,cook,serve,andeateachday.Thiscommitmentsetsoutourintentiontoensurethatweappreciateourfood.Butitisalsoincreasinglyimportantthatweseeourfoodasasomethingthathasrealvalue;somethingweshouldnotcasuallyover-purchase,over-consumeorthrowinthelandfillbin.
Foodwasteinlandfillisharmingourenvironmentandcontributingtoclimatechange.Recyclingfoodwastestopsthatwastegoingintolandfill.80%ofScottishhouseholdshaveaccesstofoodwasterecyclingsothereisnoexcuseformostofusnottorecycleourfoodwaste.Likemanyofourthrow-awayhabits,itisabehaviourthatweneedtoshiftandthatwecanencourageotherstochange.Thatiswhywehave,asthefirstactionunderthisPlan,launchedamediacampaigntopromotefoodwasterecyclingtocitizenssothatwecanhighlighttheharmfulenvironmentalimpactoffoodwaste.
Inaworldoffiniteresources,thereisthemoralimperativetoreduceourdemandontheplanet’sresources.Foodwasteisharmfultoourenvironmentandtheproduction,processingandtransportationoffoodthatisnotconsumedisawasteofresourcesandhasnoplaceinthecirculareconomywewanttodevelopinScotland.
ThisPlansetsouthowtheScottishGovernment,publicsectororganisations,businesses,industriesandconsumerscanworktogethertoreducefoodwaste.
Ministerial Foreword
RoseannaCunningham
CabinetSecretaryforEnvironment,ClimateChangeandLandReform
4 5
Executive Summary
Foodwasteisaglobalproblem.Anestimated1.3billiontonnesoffoodarewastedeveryyear.Thisisaroundonethirdofallthatisproducedforhumanconsumption,anditisgeneratingabout8%oftheworld’sgreenhousegasemissions.
Scotlandcontributestothisproblem.In2014,Scottishhouseholdsthrewawayaround600,000tonnesoffoodanddrinkwaste.Thismeantthat,asanation,wealsowastedtheresourcesthatwentintoproducing,transportingandbuyingthatfood.Whenfoodwasteendsupinlandfill,itproducesmethanegasthatismanytimesmoredamagingtotheenvironmentthancarbondioxide.Italsomeansthatwearelosingapotentiallyvaluableresourcethatcouldberedistributedtohumans,recycledasanimalfeeds,orevenconvertedtofuelandenergy.
ScotlandisaddressingitsfoodwasteproblemwiththisambitiousActionPlandesignedto:reduceunnecessarydemandforfood;improvehowweproduce,storeandcookfoodsothatwewasteless;increasefoodrecyclingratesand;makebetteruseoffoodwasteasanorganicresource.Bytacklingissuesateverylevelinthefoodwastehierarchy,Scotlandplanstomeetitsambitioustargettoreduceitsfoodwastebyonethirdby2025.Thismeansthatthecountrymustpreventaround297,000tonnesoffoodwasteeachyear.
FoodisanimportantpartofScotland’sidentityandofoureconomy.Byvaluingourfoodandwastinglessofit,wecanhelptoprotecttheenvironment,boosttheScottishfoodanddrinksector,strengthenfoodsecurity,andhelpmakeScotlandahealthiernation.TheFoodWasteReductionActionPlan,therefore,alignswiththeScottishGovernmentothercross-cuttingpolicies,suchasAHealthierFutureandGoodFoodNation.
WhileScotlandisoneofthemostambitiousnationsinitsplanstoreducefoodwaste,itisnotalone.TheUnitedNations’SustainableDevelopmenttarget12.3aimstohalfglobalfoodwasteby2030,andotherEuropeancountrieshavealsosettargetstoradicallyreducefoodwaste.
EveryoneinScotlandcanplayapartinreducingourfoodwaste.
TheScottishGovernment,supportedbyZeroWasteScotland,willleadacollaborativeefforttoimplementthisPlanandorganisationsfromeverypartofthefoodsupplychainwillhelptocombatfoodwaste.
Keyagencies,includingSEPAandFoodStandardsScotland,willprovidetheguidance,support,andinfrastructuretodrivechangeanddeliveronthetarget.
TheScottishfoodanddrinkindustrywillshowleadershipanddriveinnovationtoreducewastethroughoutthesupplychain.
Ourpublicsectorwillreducefoodwastethroughoutitsbuildingsandservices.Thisworkwillinformotherorganisations’effortsandhelptomakeunnecessaryfoodwasteunacceptableinScotland.
WewillsupportScotland’sresearchersandinnovatorsindevelopingandsharingwaystoreducefoodwasteandtoextractvaluefromthisorganicresource.
ThepeopleofScotlandwillbemotivatedandempoweredtoreducetheirfoodwasteand,asconsumers,theywillalsodrivechangesinlabellingandinfoodbusinesses’corporatebehaviour.
Scotland plans to meet its ambitious target to reduce its food waste by one
third by 2025
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This plan is designed to engage with every
part of our food supply chain and waste hierarchy
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Executive Summary
Wewillmakethischangepossibleandreachour33%reductiontargetbyworkingacrossfourvitalandinterconnectedareas.
1. Improved monitoring and infrastructureToreducewasteeffectively,weneedtoimproveourmonitoring,measurementandreportingoffoodwasteacrossallsectors.Wewill:• Consult,bytheendof2019,onamandatory
nationalfoodwastereductiontargetandmandatoryreportingofScotland’sfoodsurplusandwastebyfoodbusinesses.
• Developtheinfrastructuretosupportthereportingoffoodwaste.
2. Sector leadershipEveryoneinScotlandisexpectedtoplaytheirpartintacklingfoodwasteandreachingourtarget.Wewillsupportleadership,innovation,effectivenessandefficiencyinScotland’spublic,privateandhospitalitysectorsby:• Buildingskills,competencyandknowledge
onthemanagementoffoodwaste.• Sharingexpertiseandbestpractice.• Promotingconsistent,transparent,and
Scottish-specificreportingonfoodwastefollowingtheprinciplesof‘Target,Measure,Act’.
• Workingwithleaders,forums,andprofessionalandstakeholdergroupstooffersupportandadviceonreducingwastethroughoutthefoodsupplychain;alsocreating‘champions’forthecauseofreducingfoodwaste.
3. Public engagement and communicationsWeareaskingScotland’speopletomakechangesintheirchoicesandbehavioursaroundfoodandfoodwaste.Wewilldeliverasustainedprogrammeofcommunicationsdesignedto:raisepeople’sawarenessandunderstanding
ofthefoodwasteproblem;engagetheminactivitiesthataddresstheproblemand;createcitizenadvocatesforfoodwastereduction.
4. Supporting delivery of a new approach to food wasteDrivingeffectivechangethroughoutthefoodsupplychainneedsacoordinatedapproach.ThroughanewFoodWasteHub,wewill:• Connectbusinessesseekingtoreduce
foodwastewiththefunding,supportandinnovationsthattheyneed.
• IdentifytheskillsthatScotlandneedsif wearetodevelopnewwaysofreducing foodwasteandoptimisingouruseof bio-resources.• Promoteresearchandinnovationin
emergingbio-technologiesandothersolutionsthatwilltacklefoodwaste.
TheScottishGovernmentiscommittedtoreducingfoodwaste.Thisplanisdesignedtoengagewitheverypartofourfoodsupplychainandwastehierarchy.Itwillmakethetargeted33%reductionpossiblebyengagingwiththeproducers,suppliersandconsumersoffood.Itwillreduceunnecessarydemandandavoidablewasteandoptimisehowweuseorganicresources.Itwillsupporttechnicalandbusinessinnovation.ItwillhelptomakefoodwasteunacceptableinScotland.
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Introduction
Food Waste is a Global Problem Inaworldwithfiniteresourcesandagrowingpopulation,thehugescaleoffoodwastehaswide-rangingenvironmentalimplications.Itisdamagingbiodiversityanddestroyinghabitats,itisusingtoomuchpreciouslandandwater,anditiscontributingtoclimatechange.
“Food loss and waste generate about 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Estimates indicate that if it were a country, food loss and waste would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the United States“.(UnitedNations,2016)
TheUnitedNations’SustainableDevelopmenttarget12.3seekstoaddressthecrisis:“By2030,halvepercapitaglobalfoodwasteattheretailandconsumerlevelsandreducefoodlossesalongproductionandsupplychains,includingpost-harvestlosses.”
Areductioninfoodwastewillmitigateitsenvironmentalandeconomicimpactsandhavethepotentialtobenefitcivilsociety.IntheEU,anestimated20%ofthetotalfoodproducedislostorwasted(FUSIONS,2016),while55millionpeoplecannotaffordthecostofaqualitymealeverysecondday.
An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes
of the world’s food is wasted
every year
This waste is equivalent to one
third of all the food produced for human
consumption. (FAO)
Good to go photography??
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If food loss waste were its own country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter (FAO)
GT C02E (2011/12)
10.7
5.8
4.4
2.92.3
China United states Food loss and waste
India Russia
In a world with finite resources and a growing
population, the huge scale of food waste has wide-ranging environmental
implications
10 11
Introduction
Acting on Food Waste: Scotland’s 2025 Food Waste Target
Scotlandhasafoodwasteproblemtoo.In2014Scottishhouseholdsthrewawayaround600,000tonnesoffoodanddrinkwaste(ZeroWasteScotland,2016).
Whenwewastefood,wealsowastealltheenergyandresourcesthatwentintoproducing,processing,transportingandcookingit.Wealsolosethemoneyspentonallthesethings–meaningthatbusinessesarelessefficientandcompetitivethantheycouldbe,andthathouseholdershavespentmoneyunnecessarily.
Ontopofthis,iffoodwastethenendsupinlandfill,itgeneratesevenmoreemissionsintheformofmethanegas.Methaneismanytimesmoreharmfultotheenvironmentthancarbondioxide.Foodwasteisalsoapotentially
valuableresource(forenergy,fuelorforfertiliser)thatwelosetolandfill.
In2016,theScottishGovernment’sMakingThingsLaststrategyannouncedanambitiousnewtargettoreducepercapitafoodwasteinScotlandby33%(from2013levels)by2025.ThistargetwasthefirstofitskindinEuropeandrecognisesthecriticalroleoffoodwastereductioninthefightagainstclimatechangeandthetransitiontoamorecircular,resource-efficienteconomy.
Increasingly,otherEuropeancountriesareadoptingsimilarlyambitioustargetsforfoodwastereduction.TheNetherlandslaunchedits‘Unitedagainstfoodwaste’initiativeinMarch2018,withtheaimofbecomingthefirstcountryinEuropetomeettheUnitedNation’sSustainableDevelopmentGoal12.3.
“By 2025, we expect to reduce
food waste by 33%...
...and to recycle 70% of all waste.”
Scotland’sClimateChangePlan
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Why do we need a food waste action plan?
Planning for Success: Scotland’s Food Waste Action PlanToachieveanambitiousobjectivelikethe2025foodwastereductiontarget,weneedlong-termplanningandequallyambitiouspolicyefforts.TheScottishGovernmentrecognisedthisinitsClimateChangePlan:TheThirdReportonProposalsandPolicies2018-2032,whereitannouncedthatitwoulddevelopaNationalFoodWasteActionPlantoreachits33%target.
What is food waste?ScotlandhasadoptedthedefinitionoffoodanddrinkwastedevelopedbyFUSIONS,aEuropeancollaborationfundedbytheEUFrameworkProgramme7:“Foodwasteisanyfood,andinediblepartsoffood,removedfromthefoodsupplychaintoberecoveredordisposed(includingcomposted,cropsploughedin/notharvested,anaerobicdigestion,bio-energyproduction,co-generation,incineration,disposaltosewer,landfillordiscardedtosea)”.ItislikelythatthisdefinitionwillunderpinfurtherEUguidanceandthatScotlandwillcontinuetoalignwiththis.
The impact of landfill food wasteHouseholdfoodwastealoneaccountsfor2,240,000tonnesCO2eq,thisrepresents2.9%ofScotland’scarbonfootprint.
Foodwastesenttolandfillisparticularlyproblematicasitreleasesmethane,agreenhousegasmanytimesmorepotentthancarbondioxide.In2016,1.15milliontonnesofbiodegradablewaste(foodwasteandotherorganicwastesuchasgardenwaste)wassenttolandfillinScotland.Thisrepresenteda43%reductionover10years(CCC,2018)butisstillachallengingvolumethatmustbereduced.
InJanuary2021,Scotlandwillbanthelandfillingofbiodegradablemunicipalwaste.ThisPlanwillhelpimplementthebanbyreducingthefoodwasteinmunicipalwaste.Itwill,therefore,supportthecontinuedreductioninemissionsandScotland’sclimatetargets.
A circular economy approach to food wasteOurmainaimistopreventfoodwaste.However,somewasteisunavoidableorinedibleandwetreatthisasaresourcewithvaluethatcanbeusedwithinacirculareconomy;supportingScotland’s(MakingThingsLast)strategy.
• Scotland’svibrantfoodanddrinksectorproducessignificantquantitiesofwasteandby-products.Usingbiorefiningtechnologycouldturnwasteintovaluablenewforms.(TheBiorefineryRoadmapforScotlandandIBiolCresourcemappingtool).
• ThereisalsopotentialforwasteasaninterimsourceoffuelasScotlandmovestowards100%renewableenergygeneration.
• Foodwastecanbeusedinmoresustainableagriculturalpractices:ascompost,forsoilimprovement;andtoreducerelianceonfossilfuel-basedfertilisers.
Valuing our foodScotlandhasavibrantanduniquefoodanddrinkindustryandourfoodisastrongpartofouridentity.Byvaluingourlocally-sourcedfoodmore,andwastingless,wecanboosttheScottishfoodanddrinksector,improveourfoodsecurity,andsupportnationalhealthandwellbeing.ThisalignswithScottishGovernmentpoliciessuchasAHealthierFutureandGoodFoodNation,andtotheScotlandFood&DrinkPartnership’sAmbition2030.
Whenwearedetachedfromourfood’ssource,fromthepeoplewhoproduceitanditsplaceintheenvironment,wearelesslikelytovalueourfoodandmaybemorelikelytowasteit.Scottishhouseholderswastemorethan£1billionworthoffoodeachyear.
ZeroWasteScotlandhassupportedtheScottishGovernmentindevelopingthisPlananditsmeasurestosignificantlyreducefoodwasteacrossallmajorsectorsby2025.
ZeroWasteScotlandheldworkshopswithstakeholdersfromallsectorstobuildaninitiallistofinterventions.ThesesuggestedMeasureswereanalysedandusedtobuildashortlistwhichwasthenassessedaccordingtoitsapplicabilityintheScottishcontext,itscoherenceanditspracticality.
EachMeasurewillbeimplementedthroughaseriesofactionsandactivities.Someofthesehavealreadybeeninitiatedwhileotherswillbeintroducedintheperiodupto2025.ThePlanalsobringstogetherScottishGovernmentcommitmentsmadeinotherrelevantstrategiesandreports.
Figure 1:Greenhousegasemissionsfromfoodwaste(ZeroWasteScotland,2016)
Food manufacturing and packaging
Retail and distribution Consumption Recycled/ Composted Landfilled Incinerated
606
Greenhouse gas emissions from food waste(kg CO2eq per t food & drink waste)
890 491 -21 993 -122363
Scottish householders
waste more than £1 billion of food
each year
14 15
Where we are
InScotland,wereducedhouseholdfoodwasteby5.7%between2009and2014(ZeroWasteScotland,2016).OurlocalauthoritiesnowprovidefoodwasterecyclingservicestomostScottishhouseholds.
ThisreductioninwasteisaresultofarangeofScottishinitiativesandprogrammesincluding:• improvedlocalauthoritysegregatedfood
wastecollections;• LoveFoodHateWasteScotland;• ScottishGovernmentconsumercampaigns;• SMEAdviceandSupportService;• Educationpacksforschools;• Pilotprojectsand;• theGoodtoGoinitiative.
UK-wideinterventionssuchastheCourtauldCommitment2025,andtheUK-wideLoveFoodHateWastecampaignhavealsocontributedsignificantly.Circulareconomyexperts,WRAP,havestrengthenedthisworkwiththeirtechnicalsupportandsectorspecificguidance.
AlltheseinitiativeshavebuiltabankofexperienceandexpertisewhichwillsupportthisPlan.
A collaborative effortWearenotaloneinourambitionstoreducefoodwaste.TheCourtauldCommitment2025(C2025)isavoluntarycommitmentonthepartofmorethan100UKorganisationsinthefoodsystem.Itsgoalistomaketheproductionandconsumptionoffoodanddrinkmoresustainablebycuttingthecarbon,waterandwasteassociatedwithfoodanddrinkwhilealsoreducingfoodwastefrom156kgto125kgperperson.ThiswillreducefoodwasteintheUKby1.5milliontonnesayearby2025.
TheScottishGovernmentisasignatoryandsupporteroftheC2025agreement.ZeroWaste
Scotland,togetherwiththeScottishfoodanddrinkindustry,workscloselywithWRAPandC2025signatoriestowardstheC2025goals-andbeyond-tomeettheevenmoreambitiousScottishtarget.ThisworkcontributesfurthertotheSustainableDevelopmentGoal12.3targetofhalvingpercapitafoodwasteattheretailandconsumerlevelsby2030,andofreducingwasteinthefoodproductionandsupplychains.TheWRAPFoodWasteReductionRoadmapwillsupportC2025signatoriesasthey‘target,measure,act’andreachmilestonesin2019,2021and2025.
TherecentDepartmentfortheEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs(DEFRA)‘Resourcesandwastestrategy’furtheremphasisestheimportanceoftheC2025actionsinmeetingthe2030SDGgoal.Itfocusesonredistributionandpotentiallegislativetoolstoreducefoodwaste.Italsoprovidesguidanceonthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchy;clearlyprioritisingprevention,andthen,thetreatmentoffoodwaste.
OntheEuropeanlevel,foodwastepreventionisanintegralpartoftheEUActionPlanfortheCircularEconomy.TheRevisedEUWasteLegislationcallsonEUcountriestoreducefoodwasteateachstageofthefoodsupplychain,tomonitorfoodwastelevels,andtoreportontheirprogress.TheEuropeanCommissionisdevelopingacommonEUmethodologytomeasurefoodwasteconsistentlyandisexpectedtoshortlypassafurtherrevisiontotheEUWastelegislationrequiringMemberStatestoreportfoodwastetotalannuallyandeveryfouryearsprovidedetailedmeasurementoffoodwasteateachstageofthesupplychain.
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CASE STUDY: Primary school
waste warriors – St Bridget’s Primary
Click here
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The food waste hierarchyScotland’s33%targetwillfocusstronglyonpreventionandwilladheretotheprinciplesofthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchy(detailedinFigure2).
Landfill banFrom1stJanuary2021,landfilloperatorsinScotlandwillbebannedfromacceptingBiodegradableMunicipalWaste.Thiswillreducelandfillandgreenhousegasemissionsandhelpustoextracttheremainingresourcevaluefromresidualwaste.Thislegislativetargetwilldrivelocalauthoritiesandbusinessestofurtherimprovefoodwasteprevention,separation,andreuse.AdequatesupportandguidancefrombodiessuchasZeroWasteScotlandandSEPAwillberequiredtohelpthemdothis.
Most preferable option
Prevention• Waste of raw materials, ingredients and product
arising is reduced - measured in overall reduction in waste.
• Redistribution to people.
• Make animal feed from former food.
• Bio-material processing.
Recycling
• Waste sent to anaerobic digestion.
• Waste composted.• Waste used for landspreading.
Recovery• Incineration of waste with energy recovery.
Disposal• Waste incinerated without energy recovery.• Waste sent to landfill.• Waste ingredient/product going to sewer.
Least preferable option
PreventionW
asteFigure 2:Foodwastehierarchydefinition(adaptedfromWRAPUK)
Ithasalsoestablishedamulti-stakeholderplatform(EUPlatformonFoodLossesandFoodWaste),ofwhichZeroWasteScotlandisamember.ThePlatformincludesEUcountriesandactorsinthefoodchain,andhelpsdefinemeasurements,facilitateco-operation,andsharebestpractice.AkeygoaloftheCommissionistoreducefoodwastewithoutcompromisingonfoodsafety.
Food recycling availabilitySeparatingfoodwasteforcollectionallowsittoberecycled;releasingtheembeddedvalueremainingwithinit.Foodwastecanberecycledtoproduceelectricity,heatandvehiclefuelaswellascompostand/orfertilisertohelpgrowmorefood.Therehasbeengoodprogressintheavailabilityofhouseholdfoodwastecollection,withmostScottishhouseholdsnowabletoaccessfoodwastecollectionservices.Take-uphasincreased26%since2012but,asonly55%ofhouseholdsdisposeoftheirfoodwasteinlocalauthority-providedcaddies,thereisstillroomforimprovement(Scottishhouseholdsurvey2017:keyfindings).Ratesarelowerinflatsthanhouses,althoughtheproportionofcaddyuseinflatsisincreasing.Foodrecycling
ratesarealsolowerinruralareas,wheretherateoffoodwastecompostedathomeordisposedofinresidualwasteishigher.
Onlyfoodbusinesseswhoconsistentlygeneratemorethan5kgaweekareaffectedbytheregulationstoseparatefoodwaste.Thosebusinessesandorganisationsbelowthisthreshold,orwhoaredefinedas‘rural’undertheScottishGovernmentclassification,arenotcurrentlyrequiredtoseparatetheirfoodwasteforcollection.
Take up has increased 26% since 2012 but, as still
only 55% of households dispose of their food waste in local authority provided caddies, there is further room for improvement.
(Scottishhouseholdsurvey2017:keyfindings).
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Where we need to be – a call to action
ReducingpercapitafoodwasteinScotlandto33%below2013levelsby2025isanambitious,worldleadingtargetandrequiresthecommitmentofGovernment,thepublicandprivatesector,and,importantly,theScottishcitizen.Weallhaveourparttoplay:• TheScottish Government,facilitatedby
ZeroWasteScotlandandpartneredby keyagenciesincludingSEPAandFood
StandardsScotland,willprovideanyrequiredchangestothelegislation;support;andinfrastructuretodeliver
thetarget;• TheScottish food and drink industry
willdemonstrateleadershipthroughtheadoptionandimplementationoftheactionshighlightedinthisActionPlanandfocusontheinternationallyrecognised“target,measure,act”approach;
• Ourpublic sectorwillleadthewayinreducingfoodwasteacrossourschools,hospitalsandpublicbuildings;developingexperienceandexpertisethatitcansharewiththeprivatesectorandensuringthatthenextgenerationchampionstheminimisationoffoodwaste;
• Ourresearchers and innovatorswillbesupportedtodevelopnewtechnologiesandprocessesthatwillreducefoodwasteandextractasmuchvalueaspossiblefromourorganicresourcesand;
• TheScottish householder and our next generation willbeempoweredtoreducefoodwaste,drivechangesinlabellingandinfoodbusinesses’corporatebehaviour,andreuseorrecycleaspartofthewidercirculareconomy.
ZeroWasteScotlandestimatesthattotalfoodwasteamountedtoaround988,000tonnesin2013,or185kgpercapita1.Toachievethe
target,percapitafoodwastemustfallto124kgperannumby2025.Basedoncurrentpopulationforecasts,thisequatestoareductionofapproximately297,000tonnesor61kgpercapitabelowthe2013baseline(seeTable1).
ThisPlanisadynamic,livingstrategythatwillrespondtonewevidenceonfoodwaste,closelymonitortheMeasures,andintegratenewtechnologiesandothersolutionsastheyemerge.WewillalsoshareourcollectivenationalknowledgewithourpartnersacrosstheUK,EUandbeyondtoensurewetakethemostefficientandcost-effectivepathwaytosuccessfullyreaching33%in2025.
Year Population Total target tonnage kg per capita
2013 5,330,000 988,000 185
2025 (target) 5,570,000 691,000 124
Difference 240,000 -297,000 -61
CO2eq impact of 33% (tonnes CO2eq)
1,110,000
Table 1:Thefutureoffoodwaste.
1Thisisareductiontotheoriginalbaselinepublishedin2016,basedonanimprovedunderstandingofspecificwastestreams(UpdatedScottishBaselineTechnicalnotecanbefoundhere)
The Scottish food and drink industry will
demonstrate leadership through the adoption and
implementation of the actions highlighted in
this action Plan
Reducing per capita food waste in Scotland to 33%
below 2013 levels by 2025 is an ambitious,
world leading target
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20 21
Allkeysectorsmustbeambitiousintheirdrivetoreducefoodwaste.Andsomehavegreaterpotentialtomakeapositiveimpactthanothers;eitherbecausetheyhaveagreatercapacityforreductionorbecausetheycantakemoreeffectivemeasurestocombatwaste.
ThetwolargestsectorsourcesoffoodwasteareHousehold&Consumer(61%)andFood&DrinkManufacturing(25%).WhiletheScottishhouseholderisacleartargetforchange,therelationshipsbetweentheconsumer,theretailerandthesupplychainarecomplex,witheachinfluencingtheothers’decisionsandbehaviour.
WhilethereissomeuncertaintyaboutthefoodwastegeneratedbyHospitality&Catering,Wholesale&Retail,Education,andHealthcaresectors,theactionswithinthisPlanwillincreaseourknowledgeandunderstandingofthesesectors’contributionsandtheircapacitytodelivertowardsthetarget.
61%
25%14%
Household
F&DManufacturing
Other
Where we need to be – a call to actionLargest source of food waste in
Scotland: Household & Consumer
61%
20
All key sectors must be ambitious
in their drive to reduce food waste
Scottish 2013 Baseline
22 23
Action areas and Measures
DuringthedevelopmentofthisPlan,fourareaswereidentifiedascoreinreachingthe33%target.Allfour,andtheirassociatedMeasures,arecloselyinterlinkedandallencompassthe‘target,measure,act’approach:• Improved monitoring and infrastructure Foodwastemonitoringandmeasurement
methodshavedevelopedconsiderablyoverrecentyearsbecauseofbetterfoodwastecollection,theCourtauld2025agreement,andbusinessdriveninitiatives.However,therearestillconsiderablegapsinourknowledgeandthesemustbeaddressedsothatwecanaccuratelymonitorandreportonourprogressandproactivelytargetsectorsthatneedenhancedsupportoraction.Wemustalsoaddressthebarrierstofoodwastereuseandrecyclingtoensurethatunavoidablefoodwastecanbeusedinthemostefficientmanner.
• Sector Leadership EveryoneinScotlandisexpectedtoplay
theirpartintacklingfoodwasteandreachingourtarget.Boththepublicandprivatesectorshavehugeinfluenceandthepotentialtoinnovatesuccessfully.Furthermore,changestopracticesandthepotentialintroductionofmandatorytargetswillnotonlyreducefoodwastebutalsoincreaseefficiency,reducecostsandmakeScotlandaworldleaderinthisfield.
• Public Engagement and Communication Householdsandconsumersarethe
biggestsourceofknownfoodwasteinScotland,althoughtheirbehaviourisheavilyinfluencedbythepublicandbusinesssectors.Aconsistentmessageandsustainedcommunicationdesignedspecificallytoaddresstheneedsofeachtargetaudiencewillempowerhouseholdersandconsumerstochangetheirindividualbehavioursanddrivechangethroughoutthefoodsupplychain.
• Supporting delivery of a new approach to food waste
Addressingfoodwasteisnotsimpleandrequiresacoordinatedmulti-stakeholderapproachtoachievethetargetinthemostcosteffectiveandefficientway.CoordinationthroughoutthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchywillnotonlyresultinhigherfoodwastepreventionbutingreateropportunitiestoexploitourorganicresourcesandcontributetoScotland’seconomy.
TARGETSet a food waste reduction
target for your own UK operations, aligned with or contributing to Sustainable
Development Goal 12.3
22
CASE STUDY: Macleans Highland
Bakery: A cracker of an opportunity
Click here
MEASUREIn a consistent way
and share what you’ve learnt
ACTTo reduce your own food
waste, to work in partnership with suppliers and to help
your consumers reduce food waste
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To address these issues, we will:• Identify the barriers to food waste
reuse and recycling through focused stakeholder engagement with relevant householder groups, communities, businesses and local authorities;
• Co-design recycling and reuse solutions that benefit both citizens and local authorities;
• Consult on the rural exemption and review the food waste separation requirements by the end of 2019 and;
• Deliver audience-appropriate communications to raise people’s awareness and participation in food waste recycling;
• Work with SEPA and local authorities to drive improvements in the quality of recycling from households and businesses across Scotland.
Improved monitoring and infrastructure
Toactonfoodwaste,weneedtoimproveourmonitoring,measurementandreportingoffoodwasteacrossallsectors.Thiswill:• helptoidentifywastehotspots;• drivethedevelopmentofmoney-saving
solutions;• facilitatethemoreaccuratemeasurement
offoodwasteinthesupplychain;• encouragelargebusinessestodevelopKey
PerformanceIndicatorsandtocomparetheperformancesofcompaniesorsites;
• findresourcesforbiorefining;• identifycompanieswithaninterestin
developingbioeconomysolutions;• assessthevolumesandtypesofmaterials
thatareavailable;• developrelevantnetworks,andultimately;• divertsuitablematerialsfromthetotalfood
wastestreamtootherusesinlinewiththefoodwastehierarchy.
• reviewcurrentpracticesinthecodingandreportingofwastematerialsatmanufacturingandwastemanagementsitestoidentifyandresolveinconsistentpracticeanddriveimprovement.
Themulti-stakeholderScottishWasteDataStrategyBoardwillhavealeadroleinimplementingthisMeasure.WewillalsocontinuetoshareourknowledgeandlearnfrominternationalpartnersthroughforumssuchastheEUPlatformonFoodLossandFoodWaste.
Enhancing food waste monitoring and measurementLead organisation: SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland
AlthoughfoodwasterecyclingisnotadirectlypreventativeMeasure,itdoesraiseawarenessoffoodwasteanditfacilitatesthere-useoforganicresourcesintofertiliser,newproducts,fuel,orenergy.Wecanpromoteandencouragetheuseofseparatefoodwastecollectionstoraiseawarenessandencourageengagementamonghouseholdersandbusinesses.
Enhancedmonitoringoffoodwastesegregationwouldincreasecomplianceamongbusinesses.Barrierssuchasgeographyandthecostsofcollectionmeanthatruralhouseholders,businessesandorganisationshavemorelimitedaccesstosegregatedfoodwastecollectionsthanthoseinurbanareas.Atpresent,ruralbusinessesandorganisationsarenotrequiredtoseparatetheirfoodwasteforcollection,althoughmanyofthecontributorstofoodwastesourcesarerural.
Inotherareas,wherefoodwastecollectionsmaybeavailable,barrierstoparticipationincludecommunalwastestorageandsocialfactorssuchasaccesstoeducationandinformation,culturaldifferencesandlanguagebarriers.
Wemustworktoimprovenotjustthevolumebutthequalityofourfoodwasterecyclingtoensureitcanbeeffectivelyreusedorrecycledandwillnotbeasourceofenvironmentalcontamination.
Breaking down barriers to food waste reuse and recyclingLead organisation: Scottish Government and SEPA
To deliver improved monitoring of ourfood waste we will:• Improve the measurement, reporting
and baselining of food loss and food waste for all sectors;
• Consult on mandatory public annual reporting of Scotland’s food surplus and waste by food businesses in by end of 2019, building on the developments within the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap;
• Consult on seeking legal powers for a mandatory Food Waste Reduction Target by the end of 2019 as stated in Good Food Nation Statement of Measures (September 2018);
• Develop an infrastructure, built on existing expertise, to support the reporting of food waste and;
• Identify food waste ‘hotspots’ across all sectors and develop innovative ways to tackle them.
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We will support the businesssector with:• Continued engagement with C2025
and the Food Waste Roadmap development to promote increasingly consistent, transparent, and Scottish-specific reporting (‘target, measure, act’).
• Developing, testing and promoting the use of the most cost-effective measuring and monitoring tools for businesses of all sizes.
• Integrating food waste into existing environmental and sustainability accreditation schemes or establishing requirements for new schemes.
• Working with industry leaders, through sector-specific forums, to offer support and advice to businesses on supply chain food waste ‘hotspots’.
• Gathering and sharing international best practice on food waste reduction measures with the Scottish food sector.
Sector Leadership
Everysectorhasitsparttoplayinreducingfoodwaste.Thepublicsectorisaleadinglight;positivelyinfluencingtheprivatesector,widersociety,andScotland’syoungpeopletomakefoodwastereductionpartofeverydaylife.Excitingprojectsandpilotprogrammesarealreadyunderway.
• ZeroWasteScotlandisworkingwithschools,communities,theNHS,andlocalauthoritiesacrossScotland.
• TheScottishfoodanddrinkindustryisengagingwithC2025.
• Smallandmedium-sizedenterprisesarereceivingZeroWasteScotlandfinancialsupporttoimproveefficiencyandreducefoodwaste.
• Excitingopportunitiesarebeingdevelopedinthereuseoforganicresources.
Public SectorThepublicsectorspendsmillionsofpoundsannuallyonfoodanddrink.Goodpracticeinthepublicsector,suchasmoreconsistentandstringentscoringfactorsinlocalauthoritypublicprocurers’tenders,willsetastandardforprivatesectorprocurementandsuppliers.
Thedriversoffoodwasteinschoolsarecomplexandnumerous.However,outcomesofinitiativessuchastheSmallChangeBigDifferencecampaignhaveshownthatpupilledclassroom-basedinterventions,intandemwithcateringmeasuringandmonitoringefforts,canreducewastewithinschools.Theprinciplesofa‘GoodFoodNation’,reinforcedthroughthevalueoffood,willalsoensurethatafuturegenerationofScotshasamoreholisticunderstandingofthetruecostoffoodwaste.
Foodwastepreventioninourhealthcaresystemisalsodifficulttoaddressbecauseofthesheersizeofthesystemthatcatersforthecompetingdemandsofitspatients,visitorsandstaff.Reducingfoodwaste,whilemeetingpatients’nutritionalneeds,couldlowercosts.TheNHShascommittedtodevelopinganationalactionplanandtheprocesswillbeinitiatedin2019.
Support public and private sector leadership on food wasteLead organisation: Zero Waste Scotland
We will:• Expand pilot programmes across the
education sector (schools, colleges, universities and local authorities) and in the government’s and other public sector buildings.
• Support the development and implementation of the NHS Scotland national action plan on food waste.
• Develop best practice guidance and training for public sector procurement teams to drive new ways of working and more transparent supply chains
• Build skills, competency and knowledge on the management of food waste.
• Update the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ education pack and expand its distribution and facilitation.
Business SectorFoodwastepreventioncanonlybeeffectivelyachievedbydrivingtransformativechangeinbusinesspracticethroughoutthefoodsupplyandvaluechain,andacrossallsectors.Overproductionatthefarmgate,unnecessarilystringentspecifications,andpoorprocurementpracticesarecommonexamplesofdriversofsupplychainfoodwaste‘hotspots’.
Wewilladdressthiswith:• Greatermonitoringandpublicreportingon
supplychainfoodwaste;• Increasedaccountabilityandtransparency
and;• Theencouragementofbusinessestotake
collectiveresponsibilityforfoodwasteoccurringthroughouttheirsupplychains.
TherecentlyreleasedFoodWasteReductionRoadmapdevelopedbyWRAPandtheIGD(InstituteofGroceryDistribution)suggeststhatbusinessesarewillingtoparticipate.
Wewillincreaseparticipationand‘cascade’bestpracticebyincorporatingfoodwastereductionandreportingcriteriaintoexistingaccreditationstandardsandqualifications.Thiswillembedfoodlossandfoodwasteconsiderationsintobusinessmodels.
• Support the integration of food waste prevention into relevant aspects of the national curriculum.
• Working with Good Food Nation measures including their food education programmes.
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We will support the Hospitality andCatering sector by:• Providing dedicated resources and
a sector champion to build on and expand engagement and facilitation across this priority sector.
• Identifying and demonstrating the value of reducing food waste to the sector through the expansion of business advice and support services.
• Developing activities with sector stakeholders and suppliers to engage with multiple businesses (i.e. their membership or customers).
• Developing best practice guidance for prioritised sub-sectors.
• Integrating food waste awareness and management into hospitality training; in further education and in Continuous Professional Development.
Hospitality sectorTheHospitality&Cateringsectorisverydiverse,anditisdifficulttoofferfoodwastesolutionswhenitischallengingtoevenquantifythevolumeofwastethatthissectorproduces.
ArecentanalysisfromChampions12.3foundthathalfofthe1,200businessesreviewedsawatleasta14-foldreturnontheirinvestmentinfoodlossandwastereductionefforts.Thereisaneedtoworkwiththehospitalityindustryonsuchelementsasbusinessmodels,portionsizing,andleftoversandalsowithconsumersregardingtheirdiningandorderingbehaviour.
Ourworkwilladdresssub-sectorssuchas:hotels,restaurants,quickservicerestaurants,food-to-gospecialists,coffeespecialistsandtakeawaysandwilldeveloptargetedandpracticalbestpracticeguidance.Wewillprioritiseourworkwithsub-sectorsaccordingtotheirpotentialtoreducefoodwasteandtheircapacitytoadapt.
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CASE STUDY: Good to Go
Click here
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We will promote food waste reuse andrecycling by:• Launching the national campaign,
‘Food Gone Bad’ to educateconsumers on the environmentaldamage caused by food wasteand encourage them to recycleunavoidable food waste.
• Developing targeted campaigns thatwork with Food Standards Scotlandand with Local Authorities to improverecycling rates amongst ‘hard toreach’ audiences whose participationis poor.
• Working together with SEPA tocommunicate the importanceof improving the quality of ourfood waste recycling to reducecontamination.
• Raising awareness of how our foodwaste can be a valuable resource forScotland.
For food labelling we will work with Food Standards Scotland, across the UK governments, with industry and WRAP to help reduce consumer confusion and increase knowledge on:• The information used on labels (for
example, ‘Best Before’ rather than ‘Use By’);
• The length of time between thepurchasing of a product and theexpiry date;
• Advice on how long a product is stillgood to eat after its packaging hasbeen opened and;
• Optimal storage and freezing advice.
Public engagement & communication
Householdsandconsumersaretheleadingsourceoffoodwaste(61%)andsustainedandwide-reachingcommunicationswiththeScottishpublicisvital.Ourconsumerfoodwastepreventionactionswillbebasedonthelatestinbehaviourchangescience;dynamicandresponsivetochangingconsumerbehaviour.TheywillalsoalignwithotherfoodandsustainabilityinitiativessuchasGoodFoodNation.Weaimtoempowerhouseholdersandconsumerstodrivechangeintheirownhomesandtopromptfurtherchangeinthebusinessandpublicsectors.
Wewilldothisbyincreasingcommunicationsactivitybetweennowand2025.Multi-channelledandaudience-specificcampaignswillreachScotland’shouseholdersandconsumerswithmessagesthatfocusonpreventingfoodwaste,foodreuseandrecycling.
Thefirstcampaign,fromGreenerScotland,willlaunchjustbeforethepublicationofthisPlan.
Preventing food waste PreventionisthehighestpriorityinthefightagainstfoodwasteandthefocusoftheLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandconsumerfocusedprogrammesinceitslaunchin2009.ManyofthemostsuccessfulcampaignshavefocusedonkeyperiodsoffoodwastelikeChristmas,HalloweenandBurn’sNight.Thecampaignsprovidepracticaladvice,educatingandinspiringconsumerswithrecipeideas,shoppingtipsandstorageguidance.Key
elementsinLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandistheconsistencyofthemessageandaccessibleformatofthedelivery.
Progresshasbeenmade,andthepublicrecognitionoftheenvironmentalandsocietalimpactoffoodwasteisgrowingdaily.However,sustainedandlarge-scalepubliccommunicationsareurgentlyneededtoempowerthehouseholderandconsumertodrivechange.Wehaveseenhowpowerfultheconsumerhasbeenindrivingchangeontheissueofplasticpackaging.
Sustained and large-scale public communications activity on food waste
We aim to replicate this kind ofbehaviour change through:• Educating consumers by providing
information based on robust evidenceand insight;
• Promoting tools for the consumerand householder to prevent waste intheir own homes;
• Working with C2025 partners andbusinesses to address issues such aspack size, single portion pricing, andportion guidance2;
• Delivering integrated, audience-specific marketing campaigns and;
• Using ‘Food Waste Champions’(chefs, and key figures from differentsectors) to help reach and engage allaudiences.
How to reuse and recycle food wasteRecentScottishGovernmentresearchshowsthatconsumersareunawareoftheenvironmentaldamagecausedbyfoodwaste.ShortlybeforethepublicationofthisPlan,thegovernment’sGreenerScotlandteamwillraiseawarenessofthisissuewithanationalintegratedcampaign‘FoodGoneBad’.Thiswillencouragemorehouseholderstorecycletheirfoodwasteeffectively;meaningthatlesswillgotolandfillandmorewillbecomeasourceofrenewableenergy.
Thecontaminationoffoodwastecanresultinapotentiallyvaluableresourcebeingsenttolandfillorresultinginenvironmentalcontaminationifusedforcomposting.Improvingthequalityoffoodrecyclingwill,therefore,beakeymessageinourcommunicationstohouseholdersandbusinesses.
Food labelling Extensiveconfusionaboutthemeaningofdifferentfoodproductlabellingleadsconsumerstoprematurelydisposeofsignificantamountsoffood.Providingconsumerswithclearandconsistentproductlabels,andabetterunderstandingofwhenfoodisnolongersafeforconsumption,willhelpthemtoreducewaste,makethemostoftheirfoodpurchases,andsavemoney.
UndertheC2025agreement,thisworkwithkeyindustrysignatories(includingallmainUKretailers)isalreadywellunderwayandbestpracticeguidanceispublished.Scotlandwillcontinuetocontributetothisprocessandwilllaunchcommunicationstodeveloppeople’sunderstandingofnewlabellingandofthebestwaytostorefood.
Lead organisation: Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland & Food Standards Scotland
2Wrapwillconsultondraftguidance/criteriaforpackandportionsizeandrelativepricingduring2019.
CASE STUDY: Love Food Hate Waste ’Festive Food Waste
Fight’ with Gary MacLean
Click here
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Supporting the delivery of a new approach to food waste
AScottishFoodWasteHubwillprovideaone-stop-shopforfoodwasteissuesinScotland.Itwillbedrivenbytheprinciplesofthecompletefoodsurplusandwastehierarchy,supportfoodwasteprevention,andencouragetheoptimisationofScotland’sbio-resources.ItwillharnesstheexistingexpertiseinZeroWasteScotland,othernationalagenciesincludingSEPAandFoodStandardsScotland,andScottishResearchInstitutes.ItwillalsobuildandusewiderlinkstootherforumsexistingundercurrentUKarrangementssuchasC2025andEUPlatformactivities.TheHubwillbegovernedbyamulti-stakeholderSteeringGroup.
Scotlandisworld-renownedforbreakthroughscienceandinnovation.Thereishugeopportunitytobringtogetherourresourcesandtalentstoaddressthefoodwastechallengethroughthedevelopmentofadynamicbioeconomy.Inaccordancewiththewastehierarchy,thereuseoffoodwasteresourcesisfarmoredesirableandsustainablethanitsdisposal.Therefore,allpreventionandredistributionsoptionsmustbeexhausted.
Industryrecognisesthisasamajor–andunder-utilised-resourcestream.Thescaleoftheopportunityishuge:morethan27milliontonnesofbio-resourcesariseeveryyearinScotland(ZeroWasteScotland2017).Evenwithinthelimitsofexistinglegislationandwasteregulations,thesecouldbeconvertedintolowcost,highqualityanimalfeedsorturnedintohighvaluerenewableproductssuchasnutraceuticals,pharmaceuticalsandchemicals.
IntheWhisky,FishandBeersectorsalone,wecouldsaveanestimated£500to£800millioneveryyearbymakingbetteruseofwasteandby-products(ZeroWasteScotland2015).TheplannedactionswilldrivetheScottishbioeconomyandensure,whenfoodwasteisnotpreventable,thatitcanprovideausefulresourceandalsohelptokeepScottishbusinessesattheforefrontofthisrapidlyevolvingarea.
The Food Waste Hub will:• Expand Scotland’s business advice
and support services for SMEsthrough Zero Waste Scotland’s fundsand programmes;
• Provide technical support andspecial financial assistance to foodbusinesses; overcoming the barriersand accessing technologies;
• Develop a ‘matchmaking’ service topair novel technologies with potentialfunders and users across the foodsupply chain;
• Analyse Scotland’s skills in this areaand identify which skills are neededto support food waste prevention andoptimise bio-resources
• Raise awareness of food wastehierarchy’s principles; promotingalternative uses for food wastewhere collection is unavailable orunviable.
• Promote research into innovation toidentify emerging Bio-technologiesand facilitate collaborations betweenbusinesses that generate food wasteand those who can utilise theseresources.
Establish a Food Waste Hub to deliver coordinated and collaborative actionLead organisation: Zero Waste Scotland
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CASE STUDY: Black Soldier Fly larvae
could turn some of Scotland’s food waste
into salmon feed
Click here
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Foodonlybecomeswastewhenitisnolongercomplieswithfoodsafetyorhygienerequirements.Makingsureitisredistributedbeforethispointwill,therefore,reducefoodwaste.
Manyorganisationsalreadyusehighqualitysurplusfoodaspartoftheircommunityactivities.SomedosowithsupportfromtheScottishGovernment’sFairFoodFund,whichwillbe£3.5millionin2019-20.TheScottishGovernmentiscommittedtomakingScotland“acountrywhereeveryonehasaccesstonutritiousfoodwithoutneedingemergencyfoodaid”.InacceptingrecommendationsfromanIndependentWorkingGrouponFoodPovertyin2016,ScottishGovernmentrecognisedthecontributionsurplusfoodcanmaketodaywithinabroaderframeworkthatpromotesdignityandisfocusedontacklingthecausesofpoverty.Morewidely,foodsharingorredistributioncanbebothmacroormicroinscaleanditspossibilitiesaregeneratinginterestatlocalandnationallevels.Manyorganisationsaccesssurplusbybuildingdirectrelationshipswithretailersorproducers,othersworkwithorganisationslikeFareSharewhomaketheconnection,andsomeusetechnologyorsharedassetstoavoidwaste.
TherearealreadymanyexamplesofsuccessfulredistributioninitiativesacrossScotland:• CommunityfridgesinKirkcaldy,Glasgow
(Pollokshields)andMull&Iona;• Edinburgh’sFoodSharingHubwhichis
facilitatedbytheShrubCo-op,part-funded
byZeroWasteScotland,andworkingwithTesco,Co-opandLidland;
• AnincreasingnumberofmobileappssuchasTooGoodToGo,Olioandmanyothers,offerredistribution.
To scale up food surplus redistributionand ensure that no edible food is wasted,we will:• Work with SEPA to provide advice and
guidance to business and charities regarding their legal obligations and statutory waste management obligations for food waste;
• Work with Food Standards Scotland to review food standards and reduce barriers to food waste redistribution;
• Consult, in 2019, on an obligation for food retail sites over a certain size to ensure that they redistribute edible products in line with the principles of the food waste hierarchy;
• Support Scottish businesses in their commitment to redistribution targets in line with the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap;
• Continue to offer financial support to Scottish redistribution charities and;
• Develop our advice and support service for community redistribution projects such as community fridges and innovative food redistribution hubs.
Promote community food redistribution and consult on food surplus obligationsLead organisation: Zero Waste ScotlandCASE STUDY:
Moray Food Bankand The Fair Food
Transformation Fund
Click here
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Measuring progress and demonstrating success
Leadership, governance and deliveryLeadershipisvitaltothesuccessofthisPlan.TheScottishGovernmentwilldrivepolicyandZeroWasteScotlandwilldeliveritsMeasures.AcleardefinitionofrolesandresponsibilitiesamongthemanyplayersacrossthefoodwastelandscapewillbeimportanttothePlan’seffectiveness.AleadorganisationhasbeenidentifiedforeachMeasureandtheywilldriveactionsandactivitiesincollaborationwiththeirstakeholders.
Investing for successAchievingsuchanambitioustargetwillrequiresignificantinvestment.Thisneednotallbe‘new’moneyandwecouldoptimiseouruseoftheexistinginnovationandbusinesssupportfundingstreamsavailablethroughZeroWasteScotlandandtheScottishEnterpriseAgencies.Measuresfocusedonresearchandinnovationcouldbenefitfromnational,UKandEuropeanfundingstreams.
Sofar,Scotlandhasinvestedcloseto£30millioninfoodwasteprevention,managementandre-use.Toreducefoodwasteby33%by2025,implementingtheMeasuresoutlinedinthisPlan,weanticipateafurtherinvestmentofapproximately£20million.
ThisPlanwillmakeareturnonthisinvestment.Reducingfoodwasteby33%by2025willsavethepublicsector,businessesandhouseholdsmoney.ItwillalsoreduceournationalenvironmentalimpactandshowScotlandasaleaderintheglobalfightagainstclimatechange.
Measuring progressThisPlanaimstoreduceScotland’sfoodwasteby33%.Toachievethis,wemustestablish
clearmethodsformeasuringprogresstowardsthattarget.
ItisdifficulttopredicttheexactimpactorsuccessoftheMeasuresoutlinedinthisPlan.Scotland’sambitious33%targetisnotsomethingthatcanbeachievedbyreplicatingactionsfromsomewhereelse,therearenoexamplestofollow,althoughothercountriesarealsoworkingtowardsafoodwastereductiontargetandlearningandexperiencecanbeshared.
Foodwastesolutionsareseldom‘offtheshelf’orfromadirectlytransferablesituationandtheyarealwaysdifficulttomeasure.Furthermore,theprecisedeliveryoftheseMeasuresishighlylikelytoaffectthescaleandspeedwithwhichtheymakeanimpact.
Baseline and food waste monitoring developmentsScotland’sfirstfullfoodwastebaselineused2013data(ZeroWasteScotland2016)fromSEPAandZeroWasteScotlandstudies.The2013baselineestimatehassincebeenupdated(seeScottishBaselineUpdateTechnicalBriefing);deployingimprovementsinknowledgeandmethodsfromaroundtheworld.ThisPlanutilisestheupdatedbaseline.
WewillcontinuetomonitorandupdateestimatesoffoodwasteinScotland,totrackthereductionsthatthePlangenerates,andtouseourimprovingknowledgeofwherewasteisandhowitcanbestbetackled.
SeveralMeasuresinthisPlanwillimprovethequalityofourdataand,asaresult,theywillhelptomakeusmoreeffectiveintacklingspecificissues.
TheEUisexpectedtorequirethestandardisedreportingoffoodwastefromMemberStatesfrom2020onwards,andtheScottishGovernmentexpectstocomplywiththis.
Untilthen,foodwastewillnot,atleastinitially,bereportedannuallybecauseofthehighcostofdeliveringsomeelementsoffoodwastemeasurement,infrastructurerequirements,andtheneedtogivepolicyinterventionstimetotakeeffect.
AdetailedmonitoringandreportingtimelinewillbedevelopedbytheWasteDataStrategyBoardtoalignwiththeprogressreportingtimelineofthisPlan.
Keeping the Plan on trackThisPlanoutlinesadynamicandagileprogrammetoreachour33%reductioninScotland’sfoodwaste.Italsoprovidesthestructureforitsreportingandreview.In2021,theFoodWasteHubwillreviewandassessthelatestestimatesofScotland’sfoodwasteandourprogresstowardstarget.Thiswillbeanimportantreportingmilestone,beforewhichpotentialoptionswillbedevelopedto:•Optimisesuccess;•Integratenewsolutionsandtechnologies
and;•ToaddressanychallengestothePlan’s
progress.
Leadership is vital to the
success of this Plan
This Plan aims to reduce
Scotland’s food waste by 33%
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What success will look like
A33%reductioninfoodwasteinScotlandwillresultinthefollowingbenefits:• FoodwasteinScotlandwillbereducedby
290,000tonnes;• TheScottisheconomywillseeanetbenefit
ofnearly£2.7billion;• Scotland’scarbonfootprintwillreduceby
1.5%.• Wewillproducelowermethaneemissions
aslessfoodwastegoesintolandfill;• Scotlandcouldrealise27milliontonnesof
availablebio-resourcesinScotland;• AprosperinganddynamicScottishbio-
economy;• Agreaternationalunderstandingofthe
valueoffoodandofitsenvironmentalimpact.
• AScottishfoodculturethatrespectshowfoodcanimpactourhealth,ourwellbeingandourcommunities’cohesion.
33% reduction in food waste in
Scotland
A greater national understanding of
the value of food and of its environmental
impact
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Macleans Highland Bakery: A cracker of an opportunity
Take some leftover grains from a local brewery. Add a little flour and butter, perhaps some seasoning, and a magical touch gleaned from years’ of baking experience. What do you get? For Macleans Highland Bakery in Forres, it’s a tasty cracker with global sales potential that reduces waste at the same time.
Backin2017,awasteaudit,arrangedthroughZeroWasteScotland’sResourceEfficiencyprogramme,promptedthequestion:couldMacleansHighlandBakeryusethespentgrains,draff,comingoutofthenearbyWindsweptBrewingCompanyinLossiemouth?Draffisafibreby-productofbeerandwhiskyproductionthatisrichinprotein.Atthatpointintime,thedraffatWindsweptBrewingCompanywasbeingcompostedbutbyconsideringamorecircularapproachtherewasthepotentialtocapturemorevaluefromthematerial.
Afterthecollaborationwassuggested,MacleansHighlandBakerygottoworkwiththenewproductdevelopmentandexploringhowtheymightusethedraffasanalternativetoflour.Theteambakedbread,rolls,oatcakesandcrackersandgotsomegoodresults.ThebreadworkedwellbutthecrackerswereabetterfitforthebusinessandMaclean’splansforthefuture.Thebiscuitfrombeerwasborn.
NotonlydoesthedraffaddadepthofflavourtoMaclean’snewproductbutitgivesthecrackerarealpointofdifferenceandsenseofprovenance.Atthemoment,thedraffcrackersaremadebyhand.Allgoingwell,thebakerywillscaleuptoproducethecrackercommercially.Anofficiallaunchisplannedfortheendof2019.
Managingdirector,LewisMaclean,spokeofhisambitionsforthecracker:“I’mlookingtomakeagreatproductwithascleanalabelaspossible.Andwewantthepackagingtobeminimalandinkeepingwiththezerowastephilosophy.”
MacleansHighlandBakeryshowcaseswhatabusinesscanachievebylookingatitsprocesses,exploringnewideas,andcollaboratingwithotherbusinesses.WithinScotland,thereisanappetiteforinnovationtotransformsurplusfoodstuffsintohighervalueproductsthroughadoptingcirculareconomyprincipleswithbenefitsforprofitabilityandplanet.
Case Study
41
Primary school waste warriors – St Bridget’s Primary
St Bridget’s Primary in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, is a prime example of a school that has immersed itself in the battle against food waste. The school has been actively tackling food waste since 2017 making lunchtime a place of learning – as well as eating!
PupilsareattheheartofStBridget’sapproachwith‘WasteWarriors’actingaslunchtimewasteauditorswhoseroleistoencouragepupilstoeattheirlunchorshareitwithabuddy.Theyalsotakepicturesofthecleanplatesandensurethatanyunavoidablewasteorrecyclingisputinthecorrectarea.Attheendofeachlunchsessiontheyweighandrecordthebagsoffoodwastesothatprogresscanbemeasured.
HeadTeacher,MrHopkinsexplains:“WehaveameetingintheschooleveryMondaymorningwithallthepupils,staff,nurserychildrenandusuallyabout30to40parents.Oneofthefirstthingswedoistoshowthezerowastepictures,whichwealsoputonTwitter.Thepublicityandspotlightinghasbeenreallyeffectiveingettingthepupilsengaged.”
Andthisfocusonfoodwastehasalsobeenadoptedbytheyoungstersoutsideschoolthrough‘zerowasteathome’and‘zerowasteout’withfamiliestakingpicturesoftheiremptyplatesinrestaurants.
LauraMcNallyisacateringassistantatStBridget’saswellashavingasonattheschoolwhoisoneofitsWasteWarriors.“Thewastefromourkitchenhasfallendramaticallyandthemessageisgoinghometoparentstoencouragetheirchildrentoeatmoreandthrowlessout.”
AndwhatdotheWasteWarriorsthink?“It’sawasteoffoodtoputitinthebin.We’reWasteWarriors.Weneedtofightthattomakeitstopgoinginthebin.”
StBridget’sPrimarySchooldemonstrateshowawholeschoolapproachcanhavewiderbenefitsforpupils,parentsandcommunityasweallstrivetodoourbittofightfoodwasteinScotland.
Case Study
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In December 2018, Love Food Hate Waste Scotland launched a campaign to reduce food waste at Christmas, fronted by popular MasterChef winner and Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean.
Evidencesuggeststhat100,000turkeysarewastedeachDecemberinScotland.Oneofthemainreasonsforthisiscookingattoohighatemperature.Otherbehavioursthatresultinfestivefoodwasteareover-buyingandnotusingupleftovers.
Tocounterthisproblem,thecampaignfocussedonGarycallingonScotstoturndownthetemperatureoftheovenandcookthebirdforlongertoachievetheperfectfestiveroast.Thismessagewasbroughttolifeinthreevideos,whereGarysharedhistopturkeytips(Buysmallerthanyouthinkyouneed,Clevercarving,Turndownyourovenandcookupsidedown).
ThecampaignwasdeliveredthroughablendofPRandsocialmediaadvertisingandcontent.Thisintegratedapproachtargetedbusyfamiliesandcouplesintherunuptoandduringthefestiveseason,aimingtosupporttheminanaccessibleandpositiveway.
Otherfood-savingtoolsweredeveloped,includingawaste-freeChristmasdinnershoppinglisttofeedtwo,fouroreightpeople.Veganswerecateredfortoo,withafestivemenuforfour.Thecampaignalsofeaturedfivecreativedishestouseupleftovers.
Tosupportthiscontent,anoverarchingPRcampaignfeaturingGaryMacleanwithturkeyfarmerRogerLucey,ofGartmornFarm,highlightedtheneedtovalueourfoodandconnectwithwhereitcomesfrom.
Theresultsofthisactivityincluded178piecesofmediacoverage,involvinginternationaltitlessuchastheHuffingtonPost,withatotalreachof326.8million.TheLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandFacebooksawatotalpagereachof557,000and3422individualengagementthatgeneratedinteractionsandinformationsharingbetweenfollowers.
AspartofthegrowingmovementagainstfoodwasteinScotland,campaignssuchasthiswillplayakeyroleinempoweringpeopletomakesmallchangesthat,collectively,canhaveabigimpact.
Love Food Hate WasteScotland: ‘Turn downfor Turkey’ with ChefGary Maclean
Case Study
Good to Go
Every year £200 million worth of food is wasted in Scotland’s hospitality sector. Around 34% of this is estimated to be ‘plate waste’ – good food left over at the end of a meal.
GoodtoGoishelpingtochangetheculturearoundleftoversbygivingcustomersaneasywaytotakeuneatenfoodhome.
ZeroWasteScotland’sresearchrevealedthat,whilecustomersarekeentobeoffered‘doggybags’,twofifthsaretooshytoask.RestaurantsparticipatinginourGoodtoGopilot,wherecustomerswereproactivelyoffereddoggybags,reportedaveragefoodwastereductionsof42%.Theyalsosaidthatcustomersoverwhelminglywelcomedtheservice.
ByprovidingthecustomerwithadvicefromFoodStandardScotlandforkeepingfoodsafeoneachGoodtoGobox,theschemealsoaddressespossiblesafetyfears.
ZeroWasteScotlandnowoffersfreeGoodtoGostarterpacks,thatinclude300boxes,bagsandcommunicationmaterials,toorganisationsemployingupto250people.Sofar,morethan300Scottishbusinesses,socialenterprisesandcharitieshavetakenpartintheGoodtoGoinitiative.
Case Study
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Moray Food Bankand The Fair FoodTransformation Fund
Case Study
The Scottish Government’s Fair Food Transformation Fund aims to “support projects that give a more dignified response to food poverty and help to move away from emergency food aid as the first response.” The fund invests in projects that balance current demands for emergency food aid with community-led long-term solutions to food insecurity. In 2019-20, the Fund will invest £3.5 million in projects that benefit individuals, families and communities, while also reducing food waste.
MorayFoodBankinElginhasreceived£52,977ofFairFoodTransformationFundingbetween2017and2019.Havingstartedasatraditionalfoodbank,operatingfromafixedlocationinElgin,thisprojecthasprogressedontoawiderdistributionmodel.ItworkswithlocalfoodsuppliersandwithotherservicestoprovidesupportforpeopleexperiencingfoodpovertyacrossMoray.
Theprojecthasbroadenedtheopportunitiesforpeopletoaccessfoodaidineasierandmoredignifiedways.Theycanchoosetousefoodbanks,enjoycommunitylunchesandaccesscommunitylardersinarangeofconvenientanddiscreetlocations.
Havingestablishedconnectionswithitsparticipants,MorayFoodbankhasbeenableto
extenditssupporttoincludeadviceonfuelandonaccessingotherservices.
MorayFoodBankhasbroughtevenbiggerbenefitstoitsusers’lives;itofferspeoplethechancetoengagewiththeircommunitybyvolunteeringwiththeproject.Theprojectfocusesonfindingameaningfulroleforeveryone,workingaroundwhateverbarriersvolunteersmayhave,toensurethattheyfeelusefulandinvolved.Theprojecthasbuiltastrongnetworkofparticipants,volunteers,suppliersandsupportservices.BecausesomuchofMorayisrural,thefoodbankexperiencedthespecificchallengesofservingawidespreadcommunityandofbeingfurtherfromthenetworkingopportunitiesavailabletosimilarorganisationsintheCentralBelt.
Longer-termsupportfromtheFairFoodTransformationFundhashelpedprotectanddevelopthepartnershipsthataresoimportanttoMorayFoodBank,theservicesitprovidesandthepeoplewhouseit.
MorayFoodBankputsfood,thatmightotherwisehavebeenwasted,rightattheheartofitsservicestopeoplewhoneedhelp.Thissuccessfulcommunity-ledprojectillustrateshowacreativeandcoherentapproachtofoodanditsredistributioncanbenefitparticipants,theirfamiliesandtheircommunities.
Black Soldier Fly larvae could turn some of Scotland’s food waste into salmon feed
Black Soldier Fly larvae are voracious eaters who could help Scotland to reduce one strand of its food waste. They fatten up on organic residues from food manufacturing and agriculture and become a source of proteinfor salmon.
AsScotland’ssecondbiggestfoodexportindustry,salmonfarminguseshugevolumesoffeed,withalotofitsourcedfromwildcaughtfish.ThiscouldbereplacedbyingredientsfromBlackSoldierFlies,makingitanattractivecirculareconomyopportunityforturningfoodwhichmightotherwisehavebeenwastedintoavaluablefeedstock.Eventheby-productsfrominsectfarmingcouldhavepotentialeconomicvalue,astheycanbeprocessedandturnedintobiodiesel,chitosanandfertiliser.Withaworldleadingfoodanddrinkmanufacturingsector,alargesalmonfarmingindustry,andanemergentbiorefiningindustry,Scotlandiswell-placedtobeagloballeaderininsectfarming.
TheevidencegatheredbyZeroWasteScotlandsuggeststhatBlackSoldierfliescouldalsobepartofthesolutionforenvironmentalproblemsassociatedwithfoodwaste.Atpresent,themostenvironmentallyeffectivemethodusedfortreatingfoodwasteinScotlandisanaerobicdigestion(AD).ZeroWasteScotland’sreportestimatesthatBlackSoliderFlytreatmentoffoodwastefrommanufacturingbusinesses
couldgenerateadditionalenvironmentalandfinancialbenefits.
TohighlightthepotentialofBlackSoldierFlies,ZeroWasteScotlandorganisedtheScotland’sfirstinsectfarmingconferenceinEdinburghin2019.Theorganisationhasalsobeenworkingwithtechnologystart-upcompany,Entocycle.
Entocycle’sbusinessisinsectfarming.Itgrowsandharvestsflylarvaetoproduceprotein-richflourthatcanbeusedinaquacultureoraspetfood.In2018,ZeroWasteScotlandhelpedthecompanytoidentifyopportunitiesandEntocyclehopestobegintherolloutinearly2020.
KeiranWhitaker,Entocycle’sCEOandfounder,said;“Whenitcomestoinsectproduction,allroadsleadtoScotland.Thewastestreams,financialsupport,salmonindustry…it’sallthere.Forgreentechnologytoevolveyouneedforwardthinkinglocalauthoritiesandpublicbodiestosupportthembecauseit’sinherentlyrisky.HavingagencieslikeZeroWasteScotland,whichcanbeadrivingforceinapositiveway,isvitallyimportant.”
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