All the information you need to help increase the redistribution of surplus food, in one place.
Building on our existing and ongoing support to UK food and drink, WRAP is now in close discussion with businesses, redistribution organisations and other key players in the sector to find new ways to significantly increase surplus food redistribution at this critical time.
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant changes to food production, supply and consumption have already taken place, and are likely to continue. This turbulent time creates new opportunities, and some significant new barriers, to the redistribution of surplus food.
How we can help you
Our main activities are: providing guidance, delivering new emergency grant funding, collecting and coordinating intelligence in the sector with other organisations, convening the Courtauld 2030 Redistribution Working Group, and providing connections and contacts of redistribution organisations to food businesses.
Key guidance
Best practice on redistributing own-label products within the supply chain. This best practice guide identifies how a more consistent approach can be taken to the redistribution of surplus retailer own-label food from supply chain businesses. This will result in more food being made available for redistribution, in a timely manner.
WRAP, the Food Standards Agency and Defra have released labelling guidance for surplus food to advise on how long after the ‘Best Before’ date different foods can be expected to be suitable for redistribution.
To help establish new partnerships between food businesses and redistribution organisations, use our Framework for Effective Redistribution Partnerships.
For freezing products the British Frozen Food Federation has developed implementation guidance that can be used alongside this.
Zero Waste Scotland has launched an online matchmaking service aimed at rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted, by connecting Scottish suppliers with surplus produce and organisations that will benefit from it. The service was created in response to disruptions felt right across the supply chain due to the coronavirus situation and is intended as a help to manage previously unforeseen gluts, where no other solution is in place. You can email Zero Waste Scotland or call 01786 433930 (9am – 5pm).
Company Shop have collated examples into a Surplus Manual, which goes into depth about categories of products, reasons for surplus, and working with Company Shop.
The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) have produced guidance for manufacturing businesses to redistribute more surplus: Maximising Food Surplus Redistribution: A Guide For Food Manufacturing Businesses
Redistribution organisations
If you are a food business with a large volume (multiple pallets) of surplus to redistribute, email WRAP and we can help connect you with redistribution organisations.
Food businesses of all types can use the recently-updated Food Surplus Network to identify redistribution organisations who can help their type of business and that work in their geographic area.
The Food Standards Agency has hygiene and allergy advice for individuals and groups preparing meals to share in their community.
The Sustainable Restaurant Association has issued redistribution guidance.
The following organisations can redistribute large volumes of surplus food:
Not-for-profit redistribution organisations: Bread and Butter Thing / City Harvest / Community Shop / FareShare / His Church / Plan Zheroes/ The Felix Project / The Real Junk Food Project / The Trussell Trust / UK Harvest
Not-for-profit redistribution platforms: FruPro / Neighbourly / Olio / Waste Knot
Commercial: Approved FoodCompany Shop / Too Good To Go
Hospitality and food service: British Beer and Pub Association / Chartered Institute of Environmental Health / Sustainable Restaurant Association / UKHospitality
COVID-19 Emergency Surplus Food Grant - now closed to applications
Defra made available £4.85m of new funding through the Resource Action Fund, administered by WRAP. The COVID-19 Emergency Surplus Food Grant aimed to assist surplus food redistributors in overcoming challenges that they faced in obtaining surplus food from food businesses (such as retailers and food manufacturers) and distributing this to people in need or those considered vulnerable.
Related resources
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Annual survey of redistribution organisations in the UK: 2022 update
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Surplus food redistribution in the UK 2015 to 2021
Updated figures for surplus food redistribution via charities and commercial outlets from retail, manufacturing and the hospitality & food service sector for the three year period 2015-2018.
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The Courtauld Commitment Annual Report 2021
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Redistributing surplus food from farms
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Surplus food redistribution: WRAP's work
We work with retailers and manufacturers, logistics and redistribution organisations, together with industry bodies, to identify ways of increasing the beneficial use of surplus food.
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Surplus Food Redistribution Guidance
This summary information produced by WRAP, the Food Standards Agency and Defra covers date labelling and storage instruction requirements for surplus food, in order for it to be safely redistributed. The aim is to increase the amount of food made available by food businesses for redistribution and accepted by recipient organisations.
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Resource Action Fund