Set a target to reduce food waste
Set a new target to reduce household food waste by 25% and catering food waste by 50% from the 2013 baseline by 2032.
Greenhouse gas emissions embedded in food waste in Scotland are estimated at 4.7MtCO2eq per year.
The current target for Scotland is to reduce food waste by 33% from the 2013 baseline by 2025. No progress has been made on this and there was little co-ordinated action to deliver the target.
Meeting a 25% reduction target for household food waste and a 50% target for catering food waste could reduce emissions by nearly 2MtCO2e.
Reducing food waste requires differentiated actions designed to help reduce waste in different sectors, as percentages of food wasted range from under 0.5% in retail to 16-18% in both households and catering.
Local authorities are key actors in reducing household food waste, which requires focused local interventions. The draft Circular Economy and Waste Routemap proposes a renewed focus on food waste. Few concrete actions have been agreed, though the provisions on mandatory reporting in section 22 of the Circular Economy Act are helpful. New leadership, new ideas, partnership with local authorities and a dedicated change fund are needed, along with better data.
For further information:
- New report shines spotlight on millions of tonnes of edible food going to waste on UK farms, WWF UK, 2022, https://www.wwf.org.uk/press-release/hidden-waste-report-shines-light-uk-food-waste