An independent assessment released by the government on the latest Courtauld Commitment 2 figures shows that all three targets are set to be realised by the end of the year.
The Courtald Commitment – a voluntary agreement supported by all four UK governments – is currently in its second phase and looks to improve waste prevention costs and efficiency in the retail and manufacturing industries through the use of set targets.
The second phase – which began in 2010 and is set to conclude in December of this year – follows on from the first commitment, which aimed to design out packaging growth and reduce food waste, and intends to support businesses in improving their environmental impact and performance.
The three sector targets set against a 2009 baseline in Phase 2 are:
- To reduce the carbon impact of grocery packaging by 10 per cent by reducing the weight, increasing recycling rates and increasing the recycled content of all grocery packaging;
- To reduce household food and drink wastes by four per cent;
- To reduce traditional grocery product and packaging waste in the grocery supply chain by five per cent.
According to WRAP’s newly released data for the calendar year of 2011, the grocery sector has already surpassed the 2012 supply chain waste reduction target by 3.8 per cent, with current rates sitting at 8.8 per cent. The commitment to reduce the amount of carbon in packaging by 10 per cent is also ‘on course’ to hit target by the end of the year.
Household food and drink waste is not audited annually so no up-to-date figures are currently available, but according to WRAP, a three per cent drop was recorded in the first year.
WRAP’s newly released results show:
| Objective | One year reduction (2009-10) | Two year reduction (2009 – 11) | The Courtauld Commitment Phase 2 targets (2009 – 12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging – to reduce the weight, increase recycling rates and increase the recycled content of all grocery packaging, as appropriate | 4.7% | 8.2% | 10% |
| Household food and drink waste – to reduce UK household food and drink waste | 3% | Results are not collected yearly | 4% |
| Supply chain product and packaging waste – to reduce traditional grocery product and packaging waste in the grocery supply chain | 1.2% | 8.8% | 5% |
According to WRAP, the preliminary results demonstrate the ‘continued commitment’ of grocery retailers, brands and manufacturers to reduce waste and increase recycling.
Dr Richard Swannell, Director of Design & Waste Prevention at WRAP, said: “These are good results and indicative of the hard work that signatories have been putting in to be more resource efficient, benefitting of the environment and their bottom line. However, there is more to do.
“The reduction in supply chain waste is particularly important given it’s a new area for Courtauld. In this, its final year, we are continuing to work with the sector to help ensure the Courtauld Phase 2 targets are met in full.”
WRAP has said that it is now working with government colleagues, as well as current Courtauld signatories and trade bodies, to determine ‘the best way forward’ following the completion of the second phase of the Courtauld Commitment.
Lord de Mauley, Resource Management Minister, said: “I’m pleased that more and more businesses are realising that reducing waste and packaging throughout their supply chain is not only good for the environment but good for their bottom line too.
“These results show impressive progress in cutting down on unnecessary packaging, which is in everyone’s interest, and I will be encouraging the industry to build on its efforts to ensure we continue to make substantial progress.”
Environment Ministers from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales also welcomed the newest assessment and urged their respective industries to intensify their efforts.
British Retail Consortium Food and Sustainability Director, Andrew Opie, congratulated the sector, saying:?“These are great results against ambitious targets. This independent assessment shows food retailers are successfully working with their suppliers and customers to reduce waste and achieve major environmental gains.
"Preventing waste is the key aim and a vital part of a sustainable supply chain. Recycling is good but dramatically more resources are saved by not producing that material in the first place.”
The current government’s general predilection for voluntary agreements has come under fire in some quarters, though, with some analysts insisting binding legislation would drive change much faster. Professor Anna Gilmore, a public health expert at the University of Bath, for instance, told the BBC last year: "There's no evidence that voluntary approaches work. Look at what happened with the tobacco industry.
"The internal records of the tobacco companies became available when they were sued. They show the companies pushed voluntary approaches specifically in order to avoid binding legislation. Yet independent evaluations show that these voluntary approaches were ineffective."
Read more information about the Courtauld Commitment.
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