The well performing Big Four giant Sainsbury‘s plans to launch a £10m project to combat household food waste. As part of its five year ‘Waste Less, Save More‘ initiative, the company is seeking a UK town to become a test bed for its new scheme, as well as a £1m initial investment.
The supermarket is striving to find a trial town, city or borough that has a population between 15,000 to 300,000 and a Sainsbury‘s store within a five mile radius. Sainsbury‘s will coordinate with the town to devise a one year investment plan that will include reward programmes to encourage recycling, fridge innovations to track when food is beginning to expire, talking bins that give tips on household rubbish and new packaging to keep products fresher for longer.
The results of the first year trial phase will be recorded and presented to the public in a blueprint to allow other communities to benefit from the project.
Sainsbury‘s Chief Executive Mike Coupe said: “We know that waste – and particularly food waste – is a big challenge for households across the UK and it‘s something our customers really care about. Investing significantly in this area clearly demonstrates the scale of our ambition over the next five years and shows just how committed we are to helping our customers make a real difference in this area. We‘re confident that the project, which will start with trialling and testing in one UK town, will result in positive change for many more.”
The British retailer has claimed that it will support necessary changes, measure the results and continue to expand the scheme and further explore opportunities to reduce other waste forms.
Richard Swannell, Director of Sustainable Food Systems at WRAP, said: “This is a great initiative by Sainsbury‘s to help people reduce food waste at home. We know through our Love Food Hate Waste and Courtauld Commitment work that innovation and collaboration can significantly help reduce waste, delivering much needed cost and environmental savings. We look forward to working closely with Sainsbury‘s throughout the project to share our experience and expertise to make a real difference locally and nationally.”
People across the country are encouraged to nominate their town to take part on the Sainsbury‘s website. The winner will be announced on the 1st December.
Talya Misiri
