The giant pubco and brewer has signed up to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap as well as the Government’s Step Up To The Plate pledge.
Greene King’s chief commercial officer Phil Thomas said: “I’m delighted that we will be working further with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Plan) and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to implement changes that make a material difference to our environment and our society.
“We have long been advocates of reducing our food waste and signing these two pledges demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making further changes.”
Setting targets
Under the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which is managed by resource efficiency experts WRAP and the IGD (Institute of Global Distribution), Greene King will prepare a food waste reduction target, measure progress and take any necessary actions to ensure goals are met.
Greene King will also work with the Government’s DEFRA arm to enlighten customers of the changes they will make to diminish food waste as part of Step Up To The Plate.
Ben Elliot, the Government’s ‘food waste and surplus champion’, said: “Pubs and restaurants can play a vital role in helping to reduce the amount of food waste thrown away every day and it’s great to see Greene King leading the way in this respect.”
Earlier this year, Greene King became the first pub company to launch a partnership with Too Good To Go, an app allowing people to purchase leftover carveries from some of its Farmhouse Inns and Pub & Carvery pubs at the end of each day.
After a successful trial, this has now been rolled out to all of these pubs nationwide.
A sustainable future
WRAP special adviser hospitality and food service Eleanor Morris said: “Food waste remains a key issue in the hospitality sector and costs the industry nearly £3bn every year.
“By bringing the practice of target-measure-act on food waste into all of its sites, Greene King will be able to identify where food waste is occurring and prevent good food going to waste.”
By signing up to these pledges, Greene King has the ability to further explore new waste reduction schemes across its pubs and also consider rolling out existing schemes on a wider basis.