Sainsbury’s set to give food waste a roasting

The scale of reaction and alarm to the findings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers study that revealed up to 2 billion tonnes of the world’s food production is going to waste each year has prompted the retailer to focus its efforts on encouraging customers to think more wisely about how they buy and use food.

Its latest campaign ‘Make your Roast go Further’ will support shopper efforts to create a further two family weekday meals from every Sunday roasting joint.

Despite the fact that 84% of British families still indulge in a Sunday Roast on a weekly basis, research from WRAP has revealed that the average family wastes 5.8 kg of meat, potatoes and vegetables, equating to 1.8 billion Sunday roast meals each year.

The research also found that 49% of families spend more time preparing the Sunday Roast than any other meal in the week.

According to Sainsbury’s head of food Susi Richards, the Sunday Roast is a significant contributor to overall food waste in UK households.

“This is why we have made it central to our new ‘Food Goes Further’ campaign. If each of the 22 million customers who pass through our stores each week thinks differently about their Sunday Roast leftovers, then we would see less food in the bin,” she said.

The retailer is providing a series of easy to follow recipes for leftovers, meal planners and tips to help customers be more efficient with food.

Sainsbury’s has also been working on encouraging consumers to change their views around less aesthetically pleasing British fruit and vegetables, committing to make use of all produce that stands up on taste. This move is also in response to one of the worst growing seasons farmers have experienced in decades.

Last year the retailer also worked with WRAP to simplify date codes and improve freezing guidance across hundreds of products helping customers and its stores to waste less.

Maxine Perella