Could Covid cut food waste?

Could Covid cut food waste?

Pandemic-induced panic-buying has meant a sales spike for the frozen sector, and while it may be the appeal of long shelf life driving these sales, the sustainability credentials of frozen will in turn become clear. So could Britain’s new-found appreciation of frozen lead to a long-term reduction in food waste?

By Emma Scott

At the end of March, BusinessWaste.co.uk warned panic buying would result in more food being thrown away as people bought far more than they needed. Company spokesperson Mark Hall said at the time: “As people overstock, bins are overflowing. People should only buy what they need… there’s only so much you can eat.”

Undeterred, UK consumers stocked up on everything from toilet roll to baked beans, and sales of both frozen food and freezers surged. Online appliance retailer AO.com saw freezer sales jump more than 200%, while John Lewis saw three times the usual level of freezer sales for the time of year. Frozen food aisles in some supermarkets were stripped bare by anxious shoppers and Iceland said sales of frozen food, as well as store cupboard staples such as dried and tinned food, had rocketed.

It’s easy to see why frozen immediately became a target for stockpilers; its long shelf life would inevitably appeal at a time no-one knew when they’d be able to do their next big food shop.

But despite the over-stocking which resulted in an initial spike in food waste, one of the primary benefits of frozen soon became clear. Food waste at household level actually went down.

Three quarters of household food waste is edible

According to research from environmental charity Hubbub at the start of April, 48% of respondents said they were throwing away less food than usual, which is not just a financial win for the consumer, but a win for the planet.

Despite the focus on plastic, food waste that ends up in landfill produces Research published in the Ardo, for example, is working to develop what it calls ‘truly sustainable ways of a far more powerful greenhouse gas than even CO 2 : methane. WRAP British Food Journal in 2014 growing crops’ and making optimum use of all resources.

The resulting greenhouse gases,including methane, absorb infrared radiation and heat up theearth’s atmosphere, contributing significantly to global warming.

Yet research published in the British Food Journal in 2014 found frozen food generates 47% less food waste at home than non-frozen food. Given these figures it seems obvious that frozen can play a vital role in helping to minimise climate change.

Despite this, and evidence that frozen produce has an overall lower carbon footprint than fresh, many still argue that the energy required to store frozen food outweighs its environmental benefits.

For this reason the frozen sector must continue to find new ways to not only push green messages but to make their businesses and products more sustainable. There are opportunities throughout the supply chain to do this.

Ardo, for example, is working to developwhat it calls ‘truly sustainable ways ofgrowing crops’ and making optimum useof all resources.

Marketing manager, Mihaela Costea, said:“Some of our sites collect rainwater, purifyit and use it to clean the factories or forirrigation purposes. We have also investedin biomethanisation plants that can turnvegetable waste into green electricity used to freeze and store thefrozen vegetables as well as heat the offices.”

In addition to this, Ardo is initiating and supporting several sustainable projects with transport contractors worldwide. This includes using trucks with compressed natural gas and thermoelectric (TE) cooling systems. These actions are reducing the number of trucks on the road, the consumption of diesel and the CO 2-emission levels.

Similarly, Lamb Weston’s sustainable agriculture plan for 600 growers in Europe includes a 24% drop in energy used and 30% drop in CO 2 emissions generated per kg of product.

It considers collaboration with its growers as key to its SustainableAgriculture Plan.

Andrea Deutschmanek, country marketing manager UK & ROI said:“The plan focuses on healthy soils as the most valuable and scarcenatural resource growers use. Otherrelevant topics in the plan are water,greenhouse gas emissions, plantprotection products and biodiversity.”

Of course, aside from being ‘the right thingto do’, this all makes commercial sense. AsAndrea Deutschmanek reminds us: “Nearlyone in two consumers say it’s very or extremely important that foodand drink eaten out is sourced from environmentally friendlyingredients, and that environmentally friendly packaging is used.”

But alongside ticking sustainability boxes, the frozen sectorshould continue to invest in NPD to keep customers comingback post-coronavirus.

Much like contestants in ‘I’m A Celebrity’, consumers will quickly tire ofthe rice, pasta and beans they’ve hoarded. Products that offer not onlylong shelf life and great value, but variety in flavour, will become morepopular than ever, and this is where frozen comes into its own.

As Jane Marren managing director at Company Shop points out:“With consumer habits rapidly changing, and with demand, supply chains and markets becoming increasingly volatile, the frozensector now has an even more essential role to play.”

There has arguably never been a better time to capitalise on changing

buying habits. To keep the momentum going post-coronavirus,the sector should continue to innovate, bothwith new products and in the promotion of frozeningredients for everything from scratch cookingto the convenience of nutritious ready meals.

The combination of increasingly sustainablepractices and exciting new products that keepthe consumer shopping in the frozen aisle hasthe potential to make a real, positive change when it comes toreducing food waste.

There have already been several positive environmental outcomes thatare directly linked to the pandemic. China fast-tracked a ban on thetrade and consumption of wildlife as a direct result of the coronavirusoutbreak. The move to greater use of video and teleconferencingcould help companies review their travel policies. Nationwideshutdowns have led to drops in air pollution in major cities andfish are visible in Venetian canals for first time in years.

If the frozen sector can successfully drive its sustainability messageand maintain consumer interest, a dramatic reduction in food wastecould be among these environmental wins.