Morrisons fighting food waste through donations

Food waste is a constant battle for everyone in the UK, for the government as much as the supermarkets or the consumers. Every year, more than 15m tonnes of food are thrown away, even though the products were still edible. Among other initiatives, the Courtauld Commitment, which aims for a “zero waste economy”, has been signed by all four major supermarkets chains in 2013, including Morrisons. The retailer lost no time in elaborating then launching its waste reduction campaign with a trial, in more than 100 of its stores located in Yorkshire and the North East.

In practice, Morrisons donates to local charity all products once they've reached their best-before date (it's illegal to offer products once it's past the sell-by date since it's not safe to eat anymore). This can be vegetables, fruits, packets or tins. "We don’t like the idea of good food going to waste and this programme will ensure that we find a home for the small amount of unsold or used food in our stores3 said Andrew Clappen, Group Corporate Services Director. "The challenge is finding the right community partners to work with. What we have available will vary" adds Stephen Butts, Head of Corporate Responsibility. Morrisons plans to have expanded the program to all its supermarkets during the first months of 2016.

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