UK Food and Drink Pact: Food Waste Reduction Roadmap

Nearly one quarter of the food produced in the UK is lost or wasted every year – including over 6.4 million tonnes of perfectly good, edible food worth over £21 billion. That’s enough to feed the entire UK population 3 meals a day for nearly 3 months.

Not only is edible food ending up in the bin, but both our planet and businesses’ resources are going with it. Food waste is costing businesses money and contributing to climate change, accounting for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, part of the UK Food and Drink Pact, is a structured pathway to tackle this challenge. It enables organisations across the food supply chain to set targets, measure progress and take action.  

Over 400 organisations have committed, from major retailers and manufacturers to hospitality and trade associations – and they’re saving money by slashing food waste. Retailers signed up to the Roadmap, accounting for 97% of the market, prevented 19,000 tonnes of food from going to waste in 2022, the equivalent of £62 million worth of food saved. 

Our 2030 ambition for food waste reduction

Through the UK Food and Drink Pact’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, we’re driving action to halve food waste per capita by 2030.

This ambition forms an important contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, helping to reduce food loss in production and prevent food waste at retail and households levels.

The organisations committed to reducing food waste

View all signatories

Target, Measure, Act: a proven framework for impact

To tackle food waste effectively, businesses need a clear, structured approach. Target, Measure, Act is the framework that’s proven to help turn ambition into action on food waste reduction through practical, measurable steps:

• Target: set a purposeful food waste reduction target, such as reducing food waste by 50% across business operations
• Measure: track and report food waste data to pinpoint inefficiencies and identify areas for improvement and cost-savings
• Act: Use data-driven insights to implement food waste reduction processes and strategies, whether in business operations, supply chain collaboration or by helping consumers.

The Target, Measure, Act methodology is the foundation of the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap. Those who commit to the Roadmap are supported to implement it effectively through resources, templates and guidance.