How One Simple Law Could Dramatically Reduce British Food Waste

Everyone can do their bit to help cut down on food waste, from uploading excess onions to Tinder-style food sharing apps to drinking beer made from surplus bread—or simply eating spinach leaves before they turn into a soggy mess at the back of the fridge.

While individual action no doubt makes a difference, much of Britain's food waste problem is down to the food and drink industry. According to waste research company WRAP, British manufacturers and retailers throw away 1.9 million tonnes of food and drink every year—1.1 million tonnes of which is avoidable.

But that could all be about to change.

As part of the Government's ongoing inquiry into food waste, Lindsay Boswell, CEO of food waste charity FareShare, told the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee yesterday that the UK should introduce a tax break for suppliers and manufacturers who redistribute surplus food to charitable organisations.

The proposed tax break would allow businesses to offset the cost of storing and transporting food to charities against their tax bill.

Boswell claims the incentive for businesses would cost the Treasury £10 million, but would save charities millions, as well as rapidly reduce the amount of perfectly edible food wasted across the sector.

He told the committee, who were gathered to discuss the barriers to greater food redistribution, "It costs money [for manufacturers and suppliers] to keep that food fit for consumption and get it redistributed to charity. Our calculations are that it is around approximately £100 a tonne—management time, storage, and transport for redistribution."

Companies in UK can currently donate unsold food to charities and redistribution schemes on a voluntary basis, which lags behind food waste legislation already in place in Europe. Earlier this year, France introduced laws forcing retailers to donate unsold food to charities and in Italy, the government will now offer incentives to businesses who give away surplus produce.

Only time will tell if the UK Government will follows suit.