30 July 2021
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2 min read
The UK throws 6.6 million tonnes of food in the bin each year according to WRAP
Donation to WRAP and Canada's National Zero Waste Council aimed at researching new ways to nudge consumers to avoid throwing edible food in the bin
The world's largest retailer Walmart awarded almost $750,000 to UK waste charity WRAP and the National Zero Waste Council in Canada to help develop a range of new efforts to tackle food waste among consumers.
The funding will support the development of a number of new behaviour change interventions (BCIs) designed to encourage consumers to find new ways to reduce their waste, the US supermarket giant said. Research will take place in both the UK and Canada, with BCI prototypes to be piloted between March 2022 and 2023.
"We have an opportunity to reduce the impacts of food waste on the environment with even the slightest behavior modifications," explained Eileen Hyde, senior director for Walmart.org. "Identifying these behaviors and applying interventions is a great step in the right direction to affect change. It will take all of us working together to address food waste, and we're proud to support WRAP's good work."
The UK throws away 6.6 million tonnes of food each year, most of which could be eaten, according to WRAP. And, in March last year, a 'Food Waste Index' produced by WRAP and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the first time showed that household food waste is similar in both lower-middle income and high-income countries, and not only a problem for richer nations.
As such, in addition to developing new behavioural change interventions, key insights and recommendations that arise during the project will be shared with international partners to help inform policy globally, the waste charity said.
Sarah Clayton, head of citizen behaviour change at WRAP, said the funding would allow the charity to continue its quest for new ways to "subtly nudge" individuals into reducing their food waste.
"Food waste is so often overlooked in relation to climate change, but more greenhouse gas is produced by food waste than by all international flights, so we ignore it at our peril," she said. "Having organisations like the Walmart Foundation onboard is crucial to deliver new work and generate new insights for the benefit of partners all around the world."
