The Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge Pilot Report.

The Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge Pilot Report.

A collaboration between Tesco & Hubbub October 2020

Contents Executive summary

1

Why food waste?

3

What is Tesco doing?

5

Our approach

7

Digital delivery

8

What did we find?

9

What did we learn?

13

Case studies

16

Conclusion

17

Executive summary The UK is committed to playing its part in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste by 2030.

Covid-19 has also brought the issue of food waste into sharp focus for UK households and is leading consumers to re-think the value of food.

The households that took part saw significant shifts in their behaviour, from storing food correctly to eating more meals together. What’s more, participants found the experience enjoyable and informative, and committed to carrying on their new practices.

Retailers such as Tesco are already taking action to address food waste in their own operations. However, with households accounting for 71% of the UK’s edible food waste post-farm gate, it is crucial that people at home play their part as well.

One month on from the end of the pilot, Hubbub surveyed 50 people from the participant cohort. 94% said that they were wasting less food than before the pilot, and 78% said that they were now spending less on food than before.

In summer 2020, Tesco partnered with Hubbub to deliver a domestic food waste reduction pilot – the Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge. This pilot aimed to support UK households in reducing the amount of food that goes to waste at home. We worked with 53 households across the country to help them make real changes to how they manage their food at home, and to test any impact on food wasted, money spent on food, and their household’s overall behaviours around food.

The findings point to a role for Tesco in supporting consumers with the knowledge and inspiration to effectively reduce their food waste.

The Challenge showed promising results – we found a 76% decrease in food waste over the trial period. The households that reported money saved during the period saw an average saving of £16.50 per week.

1.

The full Challenge, with tips, videos and practical food saving tools, is available for anyone to take on at www.TescoFoodWasteChallenge.co.uk.

We found a 76% decrease in food waste over the trial period.

Households reported an average saving of £16.50 per week.

2.

Why food waste?

3.

Environmental charity, WRAP, estimate that a family of four with children could save £60 per month by tackling their food waste. One third of all food produced is thrown away, and food loss and waste are responsible for a staggering 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, more than any country in the world bar the US and China. But while climate is high on the agenda, the role food waste plays in the climate emergency is not. It’s clear that food waste hurts our wallets and the environment, and yet it has remained a stubborn problem, including at the household level.

In April 2020, Hubbub undertook national polling to understand how the public was managing their food under new circumstances. The State of the Nation’s Plate report found that 48% said they were wasting less food than usual, and 57% said they were valuing it more.

However, with the recent shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, awareness of the need to tackle food waste is increasing in the UK.

And a survey of 2,002 UK adults undertaken

by Tesco in August found that the Covid-19 lockdown has led to 67% of us now feeling differently about food.

Research by WRAP published in May supported these findings, with Citizen Responses to the Covid-19 Lockdown showing that households increased many food management behaviours during this period.

Tesco found that more than a third (35%) of people reduced their food waste during lockdown and 75% of this group have kept this up since restrictions have lifted. Since the nationwide lockdown began in March 2020, 79% said that they had cooked from scratch at least three times a week, and a third (32%) are planning their food shops more carefully to buy exactly what is needed or can be safely stored.

The survey also revealed a wish for further change and more information on managing food at home. Over half (59%) said that they wanted to do more to reduce household food waste, and a third (30%) didn’t feel confident freezing or defrosting leftovers.

Given this complex set of challenges and opportunities, Hubbub partnered with Tesco in summer 2020 to launch the No Time for Waste Challenge.

4.

What is Tesco doing?

Our approach

Tesco is a sector leader on food waste, and is committed to tackling waste at every level of the supply chain.

At Hubbub, we know that tackling domestic food waste is a stubborn problem.

At the heart of our approach to the Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge was an ambition to make communication about food waste easy, practical and – yes – fun.

• In the UK Tesco have sent no food waste to landfill since 2009 • In 2013 they became the first UK retailer to publish data for the food waste in their own operations • Tesco stopped running any “Buy One, Get One Free” promotions on fruit and veg in April 2014 • In 2016 they launched Community Food Connection in partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare and social enterprise FoodCloud

• Since 2012 they have donated over 100m meals to thousands of local charities and community groups • In 2018 they removed ‘Best Before’ dates from over 180 fruit and vegetable lines • In 2019/20 Tesco reached 77% of their goal that no food safe for human consumption will go to waste in their UK operations • In September 2020, Tesco announced they have worked in partnership with their suppliers to cut 200,000 tonnes of food waste from their combined operations

We employed various techniques grounded in behaviour science and economics, including making the positive change a default, offering incentives to change, creating a new social norm, encouraging healthy competition and meeting people where they are with positive, practical information.

The next phase was a week-long food waste audit, whereby the participants weighed in their day’s edible waste per day, over seven days. We defined edible waste as any food that the household bought or prepared with the intention of eating. This information formed the baseline measurement for the campaign.

We recruited 53 households from across Tesco’s customer base to take part in a six-week, intensive food waste challenge.

The audit week was followed by three active weeks of accessible, simple information and tools on each of the three themes, supported by challenges to reinforce learning and encourage the households to practice what they had learned.

Three target themes were identified, with activations designed to support: • Planning • Correct storage • Eating all the food that households buy

The sixth and final week comprised a second week-long food waste audit.

We made no assumptions about how our participants manage their food at home.

Instead, we carried out an in-depth phone interview with each participant to ask which factors lead to waste in their homes, after which we designed the challenges to respond to their concerns and needs.

Some of the factors the participants pointed to, that led to waste in their homes included: • Young children/fussy eaters • Low knowledge and skills around date labels, storage and use of leftovers • Busy lifestyles with little time to plan

5.

53 households, 6 weeks

6.

Digital delivery The No Time for Waste Challenge was delivered completely online. Here’s how we did it.

The group was invited to join a dedicated Facebook Group, and 50 of the households took part in that forum. Participants that chose not to take part on Facebook received additional guidance and support from the team via email.

We created a weekly digital pack for each themed week, containing downloadable resources, updates and that week’s challenges. Every week the group was required to choose one of two challenges or both, to complete, such as a household Batch Cook Off, a food storage quiz, or a challenge to prepare a meal fully from leftovers.

All of the resources are now available at www.TescoFoodWasteChallenge.co.uk Facebook

The weekly themes were designed to build participant skills, knowledge and confidence incrementally. In the first week we supported participants to learn more about how to plan their food for the week and shop smart. The second week developed understanding of how to store food to make it last longer. And, in the third week we built on previous weeks with a focus on cooking and eating everything that’s bought.

Participants were motivated and rewarded with spot prizes for their participation.

Tesco chefs delivered recorded cook-alongs, packed with tips and recipes for eating well and making the most of our food.

A Hubbub cooking expert was available to respond to ‘Ask Me Anything’ queries on the Facebook page, and the Hubbub team moderated the group to answer questions as participants worked through the challenges.

7.

8.

What did we find?

The Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge aimed to find the most effective ways of helping people cut food waste in the home. In this section, we set out the pilot results in more detail.

Food saved In the second week, participants were asked to measure their edible waste daily, in the evening, for seven days, and report their findings in grams. After the three ‘live’ weeks of challenges and activities, the cohort were asked to measure their waste again.

Many participants reported (and confirmed using a photo journal of the week) a number of days with zero edible waste in the final week of weigh ins.

Overall, we saw an average decrease in edible food waste of 1.46kg per household or 76% across the cohort, between the first and final weigh ins of the six-week campaign.

The average figure for seven days’ waste in the first week was 1.93kg, and in the final week, 0.46kg.

If participants continued to save food waste at the same rate over a year, each household would save over 76kg of food.

Money saved 62% of the respondents said that they have spent less money on food since the start of the campaign.

Of those who said they saved money, we saw an average reported saving of £16.50 per week.

New habits and behaviours It was crucial to understand how the campaign made a difference to the daily lives of the cohort. To get a broad sense of the impact of the campaign, we asked the group to what extent they have changed their planning, shopping and cooking habits to reduce food waste as a result of the challenge.

9.

If the households maintained these new habits over a year, on average they would each save £858.

76% said that they have made a huge change, or quite a lot of change.

10.

We also asked the cohorts about their habits around food, and whether they were implementing the following behaviours in their lives more than before the challenge.

11.

90%

Checked the fridge, freezer and cupboards before shopping

90%

Used up all the food they bought

88%

Stored food in ways to make it last longer

74%

Used leftovers in the following days’ meals

68%

Used the freezer to make food last longer

33%

Ate together and ate the same meals

12.

What did we learn?

The No Time for Waste Challenge made a significant difference to the households’ behaviour during the trial period. In this section, we identify some of the approaches that seem to have contributed to the participants’ high levels of engagement and enthusiasm.

Close the knowledge gap

Community is crucial

As evidenced by a broad range of research and this campaign, there is a knowledge and skills gap in the UK around basic food management, from understating date labels to knowing how to correctly store perishable food. We discovered that once the cohort was equipped with simple, accessible and supportive information, they were committed and enthusiastic in making changes at home.

Participants were invited to join a closed or private Facebook Group, which acted as a social hub for the pilot. This was particularly vital given that Covid-19 restrictions prevented us from bringing the group together in person.

Many stated that they had always wondered whether certain foods could be frozen, whether food was safe after the best before date, and where common foods such as eggs and bread should be stored.

13.

The page was highly active over the life of the campaign – in fact the group formed their own group to stay in touch and continue discussing food waste when the pilot was completed [this is not run or moderated by Hubbub or Tesco].

The community aspect motivated the participants to demonstrate their achievements to others, made them feel that they were part of something important, and had a crucial role in presenting better habits around food as a new normal. Peer to peer learning was as important to the group as expert advice, and we saw daily sharing of tips, ideas and recipes.

Flexibility is key

Small incentives go a long way

The participants responded particularly well to the activities that they could do in their own time within the challenge weeks. For example, the tip and hack sheets and tools including meal planners, the challenges and the peer support aspect of the Facebook Group were the most popular activities.

Being able to undertake activities around their busy lives, while working to a clear goal and deadline proved highly motivating.

The participants received a financial incentive for completing the challenge.

Participants were also hugely motivated by spot prizes awarded for completion of the weekly challenges and felt rewarded and appreciated for their efforts.

The Facebook Group also acted as a hub for us to store all the advice, videos and materials for participants to access and refer to at any time throughout the pilot. Expert advice offered every day in the Ask Me Anything was also well used and received, but the defined time slot may have deterred some from using it.

It’s all in the tone All of the assets used in the pilot were written in a friendly, conversational and accessible tone with plenty of humour and support. The participants followed suit, and we observed a constant drumbeat of friendly, mutually supportive conversation on the Group.

It built a sense of healthy competition, and also camaraderie, with participants congratulating and cheering each other on for their achievements.

Time is of the essence This pilot achieved significant change over a short period of time, and may present a model for businesses and organisations to quickly support households to change their habits and practices around food waste and other sustainability challenges.

We aim to consult again after three months to find out whether the change has been lasting in the longer term.

14.

Case studies

15.

Kyeisha, 26, is from Sheffield. She has two little ones, aged three and six.

They eat often which can contribute to food waste.

She wanted to find out how to waste less because she was conscious of how many people in the world are hungry and because she wanted to do her bit for the environment.

“I am much more conscious about food waste now. For example, when I am cooking a meal I will think ‘are we going to eat all of it within two days?’ If not, I will freeze it to avoid the leftovers going to waste. I also make more of a conscious effort to use up food before it goes out of date or before my next shop.”

David, 37, from South Manchester, lives with his wife and three children, aged 10, 6 and 5. He joined the Challenge because he wanted to try to make his kids more conscious of food waste.

“Attitudes to food waste have changed hugely throughout the whole household. We now have little to no waste after each meal. We keep an inventory of whatever is in the freezer, and we try to make meal plans and batch cook. Life has changed for the better.”

Marie, 49, mum of three from Birmingham works full time and is solely responsible for the two secondary school aged children and a dog, so life can sometimes get a little hectic.

Colin, 62, from Middlesex, lives alone and regularly has friends over to visit.

The challenge has helped him cut back significantly on those unplanned purchases.

“This challenge has really helped me be more organised and plan. I plan my shopping after I’ve checked what I have in the freezer. Above everything else it has made me fall back in love with food, flavours and cooking. My broccoli stalks are in the fridge and not in the bin!”

“I’ve vastly reduced my impulse buying. I now challenge why I’m buying something that’s not on my shopping list, and will I consume it all. I’m also putting less on the plates, especially the Sunday roast. That way I can reuse leftovers from side dishes.”

16.

Conclusion Tackling food waste is crucial if we are to address the climate crisis. In the UK, households account for 71% of the UK’s edible food waste post-farm gate, so taking action at this level offers significant environmental benefits, as well as financial savings to the households. There are also further benefits to be gained by households around improving their cooking and food skills, as well as passing valuable life skills on to children.

Since the Covid-19 crisis emerged, we have seen a marked increase in interest amongst the public in upskilling and ‘getting back to basics’ with food. Now is an opportune moment to help households address the knowledge gap that can result in good food going to waste.

The Tesco No Time for Waste Challenge found that simple changes to food management at home, achieved marked reductions in waste.

From planning meals, to using up leftovers, cooking in bulk, making better use of freezers and storing food correctly, there was something for everyone and they all contributed to significant savings of food and money, for the majority of the participants.

Many reported that the pilot contributed to time saved and less stress at home too.

While most post-farm waste happens at home, retailers have a responsibility to share clear and accessible information with customers that buy their products and Tesco is a sector leader in this space.

This pilot demonstrated the value of digital tools and communications in delivery of information and learning. To help more people save money and good food from the bin, Tesco has launched www.TescoFoodWasteChallenge.co.uk which contains all of the pilot information and tools, including inspirational videos and stories of change from participants.

The hub includes a ten day version of the Challenge carried out over summer, so that any household across the UK that is curious to see how they can tackle their own food waste can take part in their own time.

The households that took part were from a range of demographics and circumstances and had a broad range of interests and motives for signing up. Regardless of the context, the vast majority of the cohort finished up determined to carry on their new habits. One month on from the end of the pilot, we surveyed 50 people from the participant cohort and found that 94% were wasting less food than before the pilot, and 78% were now spending less on food than before the campaign. One month on, households reported average savings of £13 per week.

17.

18.

Hubbub’s approach and impact Hubbub is an award-winning charity with a proven track record in creating effective behaviour change campaigns that inspire people to make healthier, greener lifestyle choices. Collaboration is central to our approach we have partnered with 1,241 organisations including:

Many of the UK’s major brands including, Starbucks, IKEA, Unilever, Sainsbury’s, House of Fraser, Coca Cola, Waitrose, Innocent, Tesco, Samsung and M&S

Community groups through campaigns such as the Community Fridge Network

Local authorities nationwide, including food waste, water saving, growing, recycling and anti-littering campaigns

Academic partners such as the Universities of Surrey, Southampton and KLC

We also have significant experience of shifting dietary behaviours. For the last six years our food hub has created fun, engaging and thought-provoking campaigns on food waste and sustainable diets. These include, the Community Fridge Network which supports communities to exchange surplus food, Meat Your Match, an in-depth challenge which supported gym going men to halve their meat consumption, and food waste reduction campaigns such as Norfolk and Suffolk’s seven year food waste reduction initiative Food Savvy.

Find out more and take the challenge at www.TescoFoodWasteChallenge.co.uk