Compass Group UK & Ireland launch Stop Food Waste Day 2018

Compass Group UK & Ireland, the UK’s largest food and support services firm, have marked their Stop Food Waste Day 2018 with a number of activities designed to promote the reduction of food waste.

Launched by Compass Group USA in 2017, Stop Food Waste Day is an annual event with the aim of raising awareness around the issue of food waste and encouraging the industry, and the wider public, to reduce the amount of food thrown away.

Activities will take place at Compass’ client sites throughout the UK. Compass has also partnered with environmental campaign charity Hubbub to deliver a series of initiatives across different sites ranging from universities to distribution centres to high profile client sites in Canary Wharf. These activities include:

  • introducing tips and nudges on how to reduce food waste into all restaurants
  • recruiting student “Waste Warriors” at the University of Sussex to implement a food waste reduction initiative decided on by the students
  • opening a voting system by which staff vote for their favourite charity; people are incentivised by the amount raised for charity correlating with the reduction in plate waste
  • encouraging customers at a client site to become ‘food waste ambassadors’ and trial kitchen gadgets to reduce food waste in their homes
  • installing a large collection of presents filled with prizes inside a client restaurant which can be obtained through a tangible reduction in plate waste.

For Stop Food Waste Day, activities at Compass’ UK offices in Chertsey and Birmingham and at a selection of client sites include:

  • encouraging colleagues to reduce plate waste by asking for slightly smaller portions if they do not think they will finish a full portion
  • engaging colleagues with a food waste themed quiz and a pop-up workshop with Winnow
  • displaying information with top tips to reduce domestic food waste and encouraging colleagues to add their food waste commitments to large pledge boards.

Compass has an ongoing partnership with celebrated chef, Bryn Williams, who supports the campaign. He said: “Food waste is an issue that’s really important to tackle and for us as an industry to raise awareness of. Stop Food Waste Day helps inform the public as well as Compass’ colleagues, consumers, clients and partners. There are things that we can all do to help reduce the food we waste, from a small action that starts at home or a companywide programme in commercial kitchens – it’s really important that it’s part of our approach to cooking.”   

Chris Garside, Managing Director – Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “We are proud to lead the way in tackling food waste. Our commitment to reducing food waste is a key priority for us and the Stop Food Waste Day spreads an important message both within our organisation, at client sites and amongst the general public.”

Stop Food Waste Day is a global Compass Group initiative that has the potential to reach more than 10 million consumers. It brings together 30 countries including Australia, Japan, Turkey Canada, the US, Brazil and the UK.

In 2016, Compass Group UK & Ireland showed its commitment to tackling the issue by setting a target to reduce food waste by 10% by 2020. To reach this ambitious target, Compass has partnered with technology company, Winnow whose ‘smart scales’ technology enables commercial kitchens to measure and better manage food waste. A year on from announcing its target Compass has reduced food waste by 2.7%.  

Links

https://www.compass-group.co.uk/

https://www.hubbub.org.uk/

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One Thought to “Compass Group UK & Ireland launch Stop Food Waste Day 2018”

  1. Thank you so much for sharing your article. It makes me realized how food is very important in our life.

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