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Food Waste Reduction

Action Plan

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Contents

Ministerial Foreword 3

Executive Summary 5

Introduction 9

FoodWasteisaGlobalProblem 9

ActingonFoodWaste:Scotland’s2025FoodWasteTarget 11

Why do we need a food waste action plan? 12

PlanningforSuccess:Scotland’sFoodWasteActionPlan 12

Whatisfoodwaste? 12

Theimpactoflandfillfoodwaste 12

Acirculareconomyapproachtofoodwaste 13

Valuingourfood 13

Where we are 15

Acollaborativeeffort 15

Foodrecyclingavailability 16

Thefoodwastehierarchy 17

Landfillban 17

Where we need to be – a call to action 19

Action areas and measures 23

Improved monitoring and infrastructure 24

Sector leadership 26

Public engagement and communication 30

Supporting delivery of a new approach to food waste 33

Measuring progress and demonstrating success 36

Leadership,governanceanddelivery 36

Investingforsuccess 36

Measuringprogress 36

What success will look like 39

Case studies 40

InourClimateChangePlanwecommittedtoanambitioustargetofreducingScotland’sfoodwasteby33%by2025.ThisActionPlansetsoutanumberofmeasuresthatwillsupportthedeliveryofthistarget.

Scotlandisacountryinternationallyrenownedforitsfoodanddrink.OurcommitmentistobeaGoodFoodNationby2025.Thismeansacountrywherepeoplefromeverywalkoflifetakeprideandpleasurein,andbenefitfrom,thefoodtheyproduce,buy,cook,serve,andeateachday.Thiscommitmentsetsoutourintentiontoensurethatweappreciateourfood.Butitisalsoincreasinglyimportantthatweseeourfoodasasomethingthathasrealvalue;somethingweshouldnotcasuallyover-purchase,over-consumeorthrowinthelandfillbin.

Foodwasteinlandfillisharmingourenvironmentandcontributingtoclimatechange.Recyclingfoodwastestopsthatwastegoingintolandfill.80%ofScottishhouseholdshaveaccesstofoodwasterecyclingsothereisnoexcuseformostofusnottorecycleourfoodwaste.Likemanyofourthrow-awayhabits,itisabehaviourthatweneedtoshiftandthatwecanencourageotherstochange.Thatiswhywehave,asthefirstactionunderthisPlan,launchedamediacampaigntopromotefoodwasterecyclingtocitizenssothatwecanhighlighttheharmfulenvironmentalimpactoffoodwaste.

Inaworldoffiniteresources,thereisthemoralimperativetoreduceourdemandontheplanet’sresources.Foodwasteisharmfultoourenvironmentandtheproduction,processingandtransportationoffoodthatisnotconsumedisawasteofresourcesandhasnoplaceinthecirculareconomywewanttodevelopinScotland.

ThisPlansetsouthowtheScottishGovernment,publicsectororganisations,businesses,industriesandconsumerscanworktogethertoreducefoodwaste.

Ministerial Foreword

RoseannaCunningham

CabinetSecretaryforEnvironment,ClimateChangeandLandReform

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Executive Summary

Foodwasteisaglobalproblem.Anestimated1.3billiontonnesoffoodarewastedeveryyear.Thisisaroundonethirdofallthatisproducedforhumanconsumption,anditisgeneratingabout8%oftheworld’sgreenhousegasemissions.

Scotlandcontributestothisproblem.In2014,Scottishhouseholdsthrewawayaround600,000tonnesoffoodanddrinkwaste.Thismeantthat,asanation,wealsowastedtheresourcesthatwentintoproducing,transportingandbuyingthatfood.Whenfoodwasteendsupinlandfill,itproducesmethanegasthatismanytimesmoredamagingtotheenvironmentthancarbondioxide.Italsomeansthatwearelosingapotentiallyvaluableresourcethatcouldberedistributedtohumans,recycledasanimalfeeds,orevenconvertedtofuelandenergy.

ScotlandisaddressingitsfoodwasteproblemwiththisambitiousActionPlandesignedto:reduceunnecessarydemandforfood;improvehowweproduce,storeandcookfoodsothatwewasteless;increasefoodrecyclingratesand;makebetteruseoffoodwasteasanorganicresource.Bytacklingissuesateverylevelinthefoodwastehierarchy,Scotlandplanstomeetitsambitioustargettoreduceitsfoodwastebyonethirdby2025.Thismeansthatthecountrymustpreventaround297,000tonnesoffoodwasteeachyear.

FoodisanimportantpartofScotland’sidentityandofoureconomy.Byvaluingourfoodandwastinglessofit,wecanhelptoprotecttheenvironment,boosttheScottishfoodanddrinksector,strengthenfoodsecurity,andhelpmakeScotlandahealthiernation.TheFoodWasteReductionActionPlan,therefore,alignswiththeScottishGovernmentothercross-cuttingpolicies,suchasAHealthierFutureandGoodFoodNation.

WhileScotlandisoneofthemostambitiousnationsinitsplanstoreducefoodwaste,itisnotalone.TheUnitedNations’SustainableDevelopmenttarget12.3aimstohalfglobalfoodwasteby2030,andotherEuropeancountrieshavealsosettargetstoradicallyreducefoodwaste.

EveryoneinScotlandcanplayapartinreducingourfoodwaste.

TheScottishGovernment,supportedbyZeroWasteScotland,willleadacollaborativeefforttoimplementthisPlanandorganisationsfromeverypartofthefoodsupplychainwillhelptocombatfoodwaste.

Keyagencies,includingSEPAandFoodStandardsScotland,willprovidetheguidance,support,andinfrastructuretodrivechangeanddeliveronthetarget.

TheScottishfoodanddrinkindustrywillshowleadershipanddriveinnovationtoreducewastethroughoutthesupplychain.

Ourpublicsectorwillreducefoodwastethroughoutitsbuildingsandservices.Thisworkwillinformotherorganisations’effortsandhelptomakeunnecessaryfoodwasteunacceptableinScotland.

WewillsupportScotland’sresearchersandinnovatorsindevelopingandsharingwaystoreducefoodwasteandtoextractvaluefromthisorganicresource.

ThepeopleofScotlandwillbemotivatedandempoweredtoreducetheirfoodwasteand,asconsumers,theywillalsodrivechangesinlabellingandinfoodbusinesses’corporatebehaviour.

Scotland plans to meet its ambitious target to reduce its food waste by one

third by 2025

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This plan is designed to engage with every

part of our food supply chain and waste hierarchy

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Executive Summary

Wewillmakethischangepossibleandreachour33%reductiontargetbyworkingacrossfourvitalandinterconnectedareas.

1. Improved monitoring and infrastructureToreducewasteeffectively,weneedtoimproveourmonitoring,measurementandreportingoffoodwasteacrossallsectors.Wewill:• Consult,bytheendof2019,onamandatory

nationalfoodwastereductiontargetandmandatoryreportingofScotland’sfoodsurplusandwastebyfoodbusinesses.

• Developtheinfrastructuretosupportthereportingoffoodwaste.

2. Sector leadershipEveryoneinScotlandisexpectedtoplaytheirpartintacklingfoodwasteandreachingourtarget.Wewillsupportleadership,innovation,effectivenessandefficiencyinScotland’spublic,privateandhospitalitysectorsby:• Buildingskills,competencyandknowledge

onthemanagementoffoodwaste.• Sharingexpertiseandbestpractice.• Promotingconsistent,transparent,and

Scottish-specificreportingonfoodwastefollowingtheprinciplesof‘Target,Measure,Act’.

• Workingwithleaders,forums,andprofessionalandstakeholdergroupstooffersupportandadviceonreducingwastethroughoutthefoodsupplychain;alsocreating‘champions’forthecauseofreducingfoodwaste.

3. Public engagement and communicationsWeareaskingScotland’speopletomakechangesintheirchoicesandbehavioursaroundfoodandfoodwaste.Wewilldeliverasustainedprogrammeofcommunicationsdesignedto:raisepeople’sawarenessandunderstanding

ofthefoodwasteproblem;engagetheminactivitiesthataddresstheproblemand;createcitizenadvocatesforfoodwastereduction.

4. Supporting delivery of a new approach to food wasteDrivingeffectivechangethroughoutthefoodsupplychainneedsacoordinatedapproach.ThroughanewFoodWasteHub,wewill:• Connectbusinessesseekingtoreduce

foodwastewiththefunding,supportandinnovationsthattheyneed.

• IdentifytheskillsthatScotlandneedsif wearetodevelopnewwaysofreducing foodwasteandoptimisingouruseof bio-resources.• Promoteresearchandinnovationin

emergingbio-technologiesandothersolutionsthatwilltacklefoodwaste.

TheScottishGovernmentiscommittedtoreducingfoodwaste.Thisplanisdesignedtoengagewitheverypartofourfoodsupplychainandwastehierarchy.Itwillmakethetargeted33%reductionpossiblebyengagingwiththeproducers,suppliersandconsumersoffood.Itwillreduceunnecessarydemandandavoidablewasteandoptimisehowweuseorganicresources.Itwillsupporttechnicalandbusinessinnovation.ItwillhelptomakefoodwasteunacceptableinScotland.

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Introduction

Food Waste is a Global Problem Inaworldwithfiniteresourcesandagrowingpopulation,thehugescaleoffoodwastehaswide-rangingenvironmentalimplications.Itisdamagingbiodiversityanddestroyinghabitats,itisusingtoomuchpreciouslandandwater,anditiscontributingtoclimatechange.

“Food loss and waste generate about 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Estimates indicate that if it were a country, food loss and waste would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the United States“.(UnitedNations,2016)

TheUnitedNations’SustainableDevelopmenttarget12.3seekstoaddressthecrisis:“By2030,halvepercapitaglobalfoodwasteattheretailandconsumerlevelsandreducefoodlossesalongproductionandsupplychains,includingpost-harvestlosses.”

Areductioninfoodwastewillmitigateitsenvironmentalandeconomicimpactsandhavethepotentialtobenefitcivilsociety.IntheEU,anestimated20%ofthetotalfoodproducedislostorwasted(FUSIONS,2016),while55millionpeoplecannotaffordthecostofaqualitymealeverysecondday.

An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes

of the world’s food is wasted

every year

This waste is equivalent to one

third of all the food produced for human

consumption. (FAO)

Good to go photography??

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If food loss waste were its own country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter (FAO)

GT C02E (2011/12)

10.7

5.8

4.4

2.92.3

China United states Food loss and waste

India Russia

In a world with finite resources and a growing

population, the huge scale of food waste has wide-ranging environmental

implications

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Introduction

Acting on Food Waste: Scotland’s 2025 Food Waste Target

Scotlandhasafoodwasteproblemtoo.In2014Scottishhouseholdsthrewawayaround600,000tonnesoffoodanddrinkwaste(ZeroWasteScotland,2016).

Whenwewastefood,wealsowastealltheenergyandresourcesthatwentintoproducing,processing,transportingandcookingit.Wealsolosethemoneyspentonallthesethings–meaningthatbusinessesarelessefficientandcompetitivethantheycouldbe,andthathouseholdershavespentmoneyunnecessarily.

Ontopofthis,iffoodwastethenendsupinlandfill,itgeneratesevenmoreemissionsintheformofmethanegas.Methaneismanytimesmoreharmfultotheenvironmentthancarbondioxide.Foodwasteisalsoapotentially

valuableresource(forenergy,fuelorforfertiliser)thatwelosetolandfill.

In2016,theScottishGovernment’sMakingThingsLaststrategyannouncedanambitiousnewtargettoreducepercapitafoodwasteinScotlandby33%(from2013levels)by2025.ThistargetwasthefirstofitskindinEuropeandrecognisesthecriticalroleoffoodwastereductioninthefightagainstclimatechangeandthetransitiontoamorecircular,resource-efficienteconomy.

Increasingly,otherEuropeancountriesareadoptingsimilarlyambitioustargetsforfoodwastereduction.TheNetherlandslaunchedits‘Unitedagainstfoodwaste’initiativeinMarch2018,withtheaimofbecomingthefirstcountryinEuropetomeettheUnitedNation’sSustainableDevelopmentGoal12.3.

“By 2025, we expect to reduce

food waste by 33%...

...and to recycle 70% of all waste.”

Scotland’sClimateChangePlan

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Why do we need a food waste action plan?

Planning for Success: Scotland’s Food Waste Action PlanToachieveanambitiousobjectivelikethe2025foodwastereductiontarget,weneedlong-termplanningandequallyambitiouspolicyefforts.TheScottishGovernmentrecognisedthisinitsClimateChangePlan:TheThirdReportonProposalsandPolicies2018-2032,whereitannouncedthatitwoulddevelopaNationalFoodWasteActionPlantoreachits33%target.

What is food waste?ScotlandhasadoptedthedefinitionoffoodanddrinkwastedevelopedbyFUSIONS,aEuropeancollaborationfundedbytheEUFrameworkProgramme7:“Foodwasteisanyfood,andinediblepartsoffood,removedfromthefoodsupplychaintoberecoveredordisposed(includingcomposted,cropsploughedin/notharvested,anaerobicdigestion,bio-energyproduction,co-generation,incineration,disposaltosewer,landfillordiscardedtosea)”.ItislikelythatthisdefinitionwillunderpinfurtherEUguidanceandthatScotlandwillcontinuetoalignwiththis.

The impact of landfill food wasteHouseholdfoodwastealoneaccountsfor2,240,000tonnesCO2eq,thisrepresents2.9%ofScotland’scarbonfootprint.

Foodwastesenttolandfillisparticularlyproblematicasitreleasesmethane,agreenhousegasmanytimesmorepotentthancarbondioxide.In2016,1.15milliontonnesofbiodegradablewaste(foodwasteandotherorganicwastesuchasgardenwaste)wassenttolandfillinScotland.Thisrepresenteda43%reductionover10years(CCC,2018)butisstillachallengingvolumethatmustbereduced.

InJanuary2021,Scotlandwillbanthelandfillingofbiodegradablemunicipalwaste.ThisPlanwillhelpimplementthebanbyreducingthefoodwasteinmunicipalwaste.Itwill,therefore,supportthecontinuedreductioninemissionsandScotland’sclimatetargets.

A circular economy approach to food wasteOurmainaimistopreventfoodwaste.However,somewasteisunavoidableorinedibleandwetreatthisasaresourcewithvaluethatcanbeusedwithinacirculareconomy;supportingScotland’s(MakingThingsLast)strategy.

• Scotland’svibrantfoodanddrinksectorproducessignificantquantitiesofwasteandby-products.Usingbiorefiningtechnologycouldturnwasteintovaluablenewforms.(TheBiorefineryRoadmapforScotlandandIBiolCresourcemappingtool).

• ThereisalsopotentialforwasteasaninterimsourceoffuelasScotlandmovestowards100%renewableenergygeneration.

• Foodwastecanbeusedinmoresustainableagriculturalpractices:ascompost,forsoilimprovement;andtoreducerelianceonfossilfuel-basedfertilisers.

Valuing our foodScotlandhasavibrantanduniquefoodanddrinkindustryandourfoodisastrongpartofouridentity.Byvaluingourlocally-sourcedfoodmore,andwastingless,wecanboosttheScottishfoodanddrinksector,improveourfoodsecurity,andsupportnationalhealthandwellbeing.ThisalignswithScottishGovernmentpoliciessuchasAHealthierFutureandGoodFoodNation,andtotheScotlandFood&DrinkPartnership’sAmbition2030.

Whenwearedetachedfromourfood’ssource,fromthepeoplewhoproduceitanditsplaceintheenvironment,wearelesslikelytovalueourfoodandmaybemorelikelytowasteit.Scottishhouseholderswastemorethan£1billionworthoffoodeachyear.

ZeroWasteScotlandhassupportedtheScottishGovernmentindevelopingthisPlananditsmeasurestosignificantlyreducefoodwasteacrossallmajorsectorsby2025.

ZeroWasteScotlandheldworkshopswithstakeholdersfromallsectorstobuildaninitiallistofinterventions.ThesesuggestedMeasureswereanalysedandusedtobuildashortlistwhichwasthenassessedaccordingtoitsapplicabilityintheScottishcontext,itscoherenceanditspracticality.

EachMeasurewillbeimplementedthroughaseriesofactionsandactivities.Someofthesehavealreadybeeninitiatedwhileotherswillbeintroducedintheperiodupto2025.ThePlanalsobringstogetherScottishGovernmentcommitmentsmadeinotherrelevantstrategiesandreports.

Figure 1:Greenhousegasemissionsfromfoodwaste(ZeroWasteScotland,2016)

Food manufacturing and packaging

Retail and distribution Consumption Recycled/ Composted Landfilled Incinerated

606

Greenhouse gas emissions from food waste(kg CO2eq per t food & drink waste)

890 491 -21 993 -122363

Scottish householders

waste more than £1 billion of food

each year

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Where we are

InScotland,wereducedhouseholdfoodwasteby5.7%between2009and2014(ZeroWasteScotland,2016).OurlocalauthoritiesnowprovidefoodwasterecyclingservicestomostScottishhouseholds.

ThisreductioninwasteisaresultofarangeofScottishinitiativesandprogrammesincluding:• improvedlocalauthoritysegregatedfood

wastecollections;• LoveFoodHateWasteScotland;• ScottishGovernmentconsumercampaigns;• SMEAdviceandSupportService;• Educationpacksforschools;• Pilotprojectsand;• theGoodtoGoinitiative.

UK-wideinterventionssuchastheCourtauldCommitment2025,andtheUK-wideLoveFoodHateWastecampaignhavealsocontributedsignificantly.Circulareconomyexperts,WRAP,havestrengthenedthisworkwiththeirtechnicalsupportandsectorspecificguidance.

AlltheseinitiativeshavebuiltabankofexperienceandexpertisewhichwillsupportthisPlan.

A collaborative effortWearenotaloneinourambitionstoreducefoodwaste.TheCourtauldCommitment2025(C2025)isavoluntarycommitmentonthepartofmorethan100UKorganisationsinthefoodsystem.Itsgoalistomaketheproductionandconsumptionoffoodanddrinkmoresustainablebycuttingthecarbon,waterandwasteassociatedwithfoodanddrinkwhilealsoreducingfoodwastefrom156kgto125kgperperson.ThiswillreducefoodwasteintheUKby1.5milliontonnesayearby2025.

TheScottishGovernmentisasignatoryandsupporteroftheC2025agreement.ZeroWaste

Scotland,togetherwiththeScottishfoodanddrinkindustry,workscloselywithWRAPandC2025signatoriestowardstheC2025goals-andbeyond-tomeettheevenmoreambitiousScottishtarget.ThisworkcontributesfurthertotheSustainableDevelopmentGoal12.3targetofhalvingpercapitafoodwasteattheretailandconsumerlevelsby2030,andofreducingwasteinthefoodproductionandsupplychains.TheWRAPFoodWasteReductionRoadmapwillsupportC2025signatoriesasthey‘target,measure,act’andreachmilestonesin2019,2021and2025.

TherecentDepartmentfortheEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs(DEFRA)‘Resourcesandwastestrategy’furtheremphasisestheimportanceoftheC2025actionsinmeetingthe2030SDGgoal.Itfocusesonredistributionandpotentiallegislativetoolstoreducefoodwaste.Italsoprovidesguidanceonthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchy;clearlyprioritisingprevention,andthen,thetreatmentoffoodwaste.

OntheEuropeanlevel,foodwastepreventionisanintegralpartoftheEUActionPlanfortheCircularEconomy.TheRevisedEUWasteLegislationcallsonEUcountriestoreducefoodwasteateachstageofthefoodsupplychain,tomonitorfoodwastelevels,andtoreportontheirprogress.TheEuropeanCommissionisdevelopingacommonEUmethodologytomeasurefoodwasteconsistentlyandisexpectedtoshortlypassafurtherrevisiontotheEUWastelegislationrequiringMemberStatestoreportfoodwastetotalannuallyandeveryfouryearsprovidedetailedmeasurementoffoodwasteateachstageofthesupplychain.

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CASE STUDY: Primary school

waste warriors – St Bridget’s Primary

Click here

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The food waste hierarchyScotland’s33%targetwillfocusstronglyonpreventionandwilladheretotheprinciplesofthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchy(detailedinFigure2).

Landfill banFrom1stJanuary2021,landfilloperatorsinScotlandwillbebannedfromacceptingBiodegradableMunicipalWaste.Thiswillreducelandfillandgreenhousegasemissionsandhelpustoextracttheremainingresourcevaluefromresidualwaste.Thislegislativetargetwilldrivelocalauthoritiesandbusinessestofurtherimprovefoodwasteprevention,separation,andreuse.AdequatesupportandguidancefrombodiessuchasZeroWasteScotlandandSEPAwillberequiredtohelpthemdothis.

Most preferable option

Prevention• Waste of raw materials, ingredients and product

arising is reduced - measured in overall reduction in waste.

• Redistribution to people.

• Make animal feed from former food.

• Bio-material processing.

Recycling

• Waste sent to anaerobic digestion.

• Waste composted.• Waste used for landspreading.

Recovery• Incineration of waste with energy recovery.

Disposal• Waste incinerated without energy recovery.• Waste sent to landfill.• Waste ingredient/product going to sewer.

Least preferable option

PreventionW

asteFigure 2:Foodwastehierarchydefinition(adaptedfromWRAPUK)

Ithasalsoestablishedamulti-stakeholderplatform(EUPlatformonFoodLossesandFoodWaste),ofwhichZeroWasteScotlandisamember.ThePlatformincludesEUcountriesandactorsinthefoodchain,andhelpsdefinemeasurements,facilitateco-operation,andsharebestpractice.AkeygoaloftheCommissionistoreducefoodwastewithoutcompromisingonfoodsafety.

Food recycling availabilitySeparatingfoodwasteforcollectionallowsittoberecycled;releasingtheembeddedvalueremainingwithinit.Foodwastecanberecycledtoproduceelectricity,heatandvehiclefuelaswellascompostand/orfertilisertohelpgrowmorefood.Therehasbeengoodprogressintheavailabilityofhouseholdfoodwastecollection,withmostScottishhouseholdsnowabletoaccessfoodwastecollectionservices.Take-uphasincreased26%since2012but,asonly55%ofhouseholdsdisposeoftheirfoodwasteinlocalauthority-providedcaddies,thereisstillroomforimprovement(Scottishhouseholdsurvey2017:keyfindings).Ratesarelowerinflatsthanhouses,althoughtheproportionofcaddyuseinflatsisincreasing.Foodrecycling

ratesarealsolowerinruralareas,wheretherateoffoodwastecompostedathomeordisposedofinresidualwasteishigher.

Onlyfoodbusinesseswhoconsistentlygeneratemorethan5kgaweekareaffectedbytheregulationstoseparatefoodwaste.Thosebusinessesandorganisationsbelowthisthreshold,orwhoaredefinedas‘rural’undertheScottishGovernmentclassification,arenotcurrentlyrequiredtoseparatetheirfoodwasteforcollection.

Take up has increased 26% since 2012 but, as still

only 55% of households dispose of their food waste in local authority provided caddies, there is further room for improvement.

(Scottishhouseholdsurvey2017:keyfindings).

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Where we need to be – a call to action

ReducingpercapitafoodwasteinScotlandto33%below2013levelsby2025isanambitious,worldleadingtargetandrequiresthecommitmentofGovernment,thepublicandprivatesector,and,importantly,theScottishcitizen.Weallhaveourparttoplay:• TheScottish Government,facilitatedby

ZeroWasteScotlandandpartneredby keyagenciesincludingSEPAandFood

StandardsScotland,willprovideanyrequiredchangestothelegislation;support;andinfrastructuretodeliver

thetarget;• TheScottish food and drink industry

willdemonstrateleadershipthroughtheadoptionandimplementationoftheactionshighlightedinthisActionPlanandfocusontheinternationallyrecognised“target,measure,act”approach;

• Ourpublic sectorwillleadthewayinreducingfoodwasteacrossourschools,hospitalsandpublicbuildings;developingexperienceandexpertisethatitcansharewiththeprivatesectorandensuringthatthenextgenerationchampionstheminimisationoffoodwaste;

• Ourresearchers and innovatorswillbesupportedtodevelopnewtechnologiesandprocessesthatwillreducefoodwasteandextractasmuchvalueaspossiblefromourorganicresourcesand;

• TheScottish householder and our next generation willbeempoweredtoreducefoodwaste,drivechangesinlabellingandinfoodbusinesses’corporatebehaviour,andreuseorrecycleaspartofthewidercirculareconomy.

ZeroWasteScotlandestimatesthattotalfoodwasteamountedtoaround988,000tonnesin2013,or185kgpercapita1.Toachievethe

target,percapitafoodwastemustfallto124kgperannumby2025.Basedoncurrentpopulationforecasts,thisequatestoareductionofapproximately297,000tonnesor61kgpercapitabelowthe2013baseline(seeTable1).

ThisPlanisadynamic,livingstrategythatwillrespondtonewevidenceonfoodwaste,closelymonitortheMeasures,andintegratenewtechnologiesandothersolutionsastheyemerge.WewillalsoshareourcollectivenationalknowledgewithourpartnersacrosstheUK,EUandbeyondtoensurewetakethemostefficientandcost-effectivepathwaytosuccessfullyreaching33%in2025.

Year Population Total target tonnage kg per capita

2013 5,330,000 988,000 185

2025 (target) 5,570,000 691,000 124

Difference 240,000 -297,000 -61

CO2eq impact of 33% (tonnes CO2eq)

1,110,000

Table 1:Thefutureoffoodwaste.

1Thisisareductiontotheoriginalbaselinepublishedin2016,basedonanimprovedunderstandingofspecificwastestreams(UpdatedScottishBaselineTechnicalnotecanbefoundhere)

The Scottish food and drink industry will

demonstrate leadership through the adoption and

implementation of the actions highlighted in

this action Plan

Reducing per capita food waste in Scotland to 33%

below 2013 levels by 2025 is an ambitious,

world leading target

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Allkeysectorsmustbeambitiousintheirdrivetoreducefoodwaste.Andsomehavegreaterpotentialtomakeapositiveimpactthanothers;eitherbecausetheyhaveagreatercapacityforreductionorbecausetheycantakemoreeffectivemeasurestocombatwaste.

ThetwolargestsectorsourcesoffoodwasteareHousehold&Consumer(61%)andFood&DrinkManufacturing(25%).WhiletheScottishhouseholderisacleartargetforchange,therelationshipsbetweentheconsumer,theretailerandthesupplychainarecomplex,witheachinfluencingtheothers’decisionsandbehaviour.

WhilethereissomeuncertaintyaboutthefoodwastegeneratedbyHospitality&Catering,Wholesale&Retail,Education,andHealthcaresectors,theactionswithinthisPlanwillincreaseourknowledgeandunderstandingofthesesectors’contributionsandtheircapacitytodelivertowardsthetarget.

61%

25%14%

Household

F&DManufacturing

Other

Where we need to be – a call to actionLargest source of food waste in

Scotland: Household & Consumer

61%

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All key sectors must be ambitious

in their drive to reduce food waste

Scottish 2013 Baseline

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Action areas and Measures

DuringthedevelopmentofthisPlan,fourareaswereidentifiedascoreinreachingthe33%target.Allfour,andtheirassociatedMeasures,arecloselyinterlinkedandallencompassthe‘target,measure,act’approach:• Improved monitoring and infrastructure Foodwastemonitoringandmeasurement

methodshavedevelopedconsiderablyoverrecentyearsbecauseofbetterfoodwastecollection,theCourtauld2025agreement,andbusinessdriveninitiatives.However,therearestillconsiderablegapsinourknowledgeandthesemustbeaddressedsothatwecanaccuratelymonitorandreportonourprogressandproactivelytargetsectorsthatneedenhancedsupportoraction.Wemustalsoaddressthebarrierstofoodwastereuseandrecyclingtoensurethatunavoidablefoodwastecanbeusedinthemostefficientmanner.

• Sector Leadership EveryoneinScotlandisexpectedtoplay

theirpartintacklingfoodwasteandreachingourtarget.Boththepublicandprivatesectorshavehugeinfluenceandthepotentialtoinnovatesuccessfully.Furthermore,changestopracticesandthepotentialintroductionofmandatorytargetswillnotonlyreducefoodwastebutalsoincreaseefficiency,reducecostsandmakeScotlandaworldleaderinthisfield.

• Public Engagement and Communication Householdsandconsumersarethe

biggestsourceofknownfoodwasteinScotland,althoughtheirbehaviourisheavilyinfluencedbythepublicandbusinesssectors.Aconsistentmessageandsustainedcommunicationdesignedspecificallytoaddresstheneedsofeachtargetaudiencewillempowerhouseholdersandconsumerstochangetheirindividualbehavioursanddrivechangethroughoutthefoodsupplychain.

• Supporting delivery of a new approach to food waste

Addressingfoodwasteisnotsimpleandrequiresacoordinatedmulti-stakeholderapproachtoachievethetargetinthemostcosteffectiveandefficientway.CoordinationthroughoutthefoodanddrinksurplusandwastehierarchywillnotonlyresultinhigherfoodwastepreventionbutingreateropportunitiestoexploitourorganicresourcesandcontributetoScotland’seconomy.

TARGETSet a food waste reduction

target for your own UK operations, aligned with or contributing to Sustainable

Development Goal 12.3

22

CASE STUDY: Macleans Highland

Bakery: A cracker of an opportunity

Click here

MEASUREIn a consistent way

and share what you’ve learnt

ACTTo reduce your own food

waste, to work in partnership with suppliers and to help

your consumers reduce food waste

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To address these issues, we will:• Identify the barriers to food waste

reuse and recycling through focused stakeholder engagement with relevant householder groups, communities, businesses and local authorities;

• Co-design recycling and reuse solutions that benefit both citizens and local authorities;

• Consult on the rural exemption and review the food waste separation requirements by the end of 2019 and;

• Deliver audience-appropriate communications to raise people’s awareness and participation in food waste recycling;

• Work with SEPA and local authorities to drive improvements in the quality of recycling from households and businesses across Scotland.

Improved monitoring and infrastructure

Toactonfoodwaste,weneedtoimproveourmonitoring,measurementandreportingoffoodwasteacrossallsectors.Thiswill:• helptoidentifywastehotspots;• drivethedevelopmentofmoney-saving

solutions;• facilitatethemoreaccuratemeasurement

offoodwasteinthesupplychain;• encouragelargebusinessestodevelopKey

PerformanceIndicatorsandtocomparetheperformancesofcompaniesorsites;

• findresourcesforbiorefining;• identifycompanieswithaninterestin

developingbioeconomysolutions;• assessthevolumesandtypesofmaterials

thatareavailable;• developrelevantnetworks,andultimately;• divertsuitablematerialsfromthetotalfood

wastestreamtootherusesinlinewiththefoodwastehierarchy.

• reviewcurrentpracticesinthecodingandreportingofwastematerialsatmanufacturingandwastemanagementsitestoidentifyandresolveinconsistentpracticeanddriveimprovement.

Themulti-stakeholderScottishWasteDataStrategyBoardwillhavealeadroleinimplementingthisMeasure.WewillalsocontinuetoshareourknowledgeandlearnfrominternationalpartnersthroughforumssuchastheEUPlatformonFoodLossandFoodWaste.

Enhancing food waste monitoring and measurementLead organisation: SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland

AlthoughfoodwasterecyclingisnotadirectlypreventativeMeasure,itdoesraiseawarenessoffoodwasteanditfacilitatesthere-useoforganicresourcesintofertiliser,newproducts,fuel,orenergy.Wecanpromoteandencouragetheuseofseparatefoodwastecollectionstoraiseawarenessandencourageengagementamonghouseholdersandbusinesses.

Enhancedmonitoringoffoodwastesegregationwouldincreasecomplianceamongbusinesses.Barrierssuchasgeographyandthecostsofcollectionmeanthatruralhouseholders,businessesandorganisationshavemorelimitedaccesstosegregatedfoodwastecollectionsthanthoseinurbanareas.Atpresent,ruralbusinessesandorganisationsarenotrequiredtoseparatetheirfoodwasteforcollection,althoughmanyofthecontributorstofoodwastesourcesarerural.

Inotherareas,wherefoodwastecollectionsmaybeavailable,barrierstoparticipationincludecommunalwastestorageandsocialfactorssuchasaccesstoeducationandinformation,culturaldifferencesandlanguagebarriers.

Wemustworktoimprovenotjustthevolumebutthequalityofourfoodwasterecyclingtoensureitcanbeeffectivelyreusedorrecycledandwillnotbeasourceofenvironmentalcontamination.

Breaking down barriers to food waste reuse and recyclingLead organisation: Scottish Government and SEPA

To deliver improved monitoring of ourfood waste we will:• Improve the measurement, reporting

and baselining of food loss and food waste for all sectors;

• Consult on mandatory public annual reporting of Scotland’s food surplus and waste by food businesses in by end of 2019, building on the developments within the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap;

• Consult on seeking legal powers for a mandatory Food Waste Reduction Target by the end of 2019 as stated in Good Food Nation Statement of Measures (September 2018);

• Develop an infrastructure, built on existing expertise, to support the reporting of food waste and;

• Identify food waste ‘hotspots’ across all sectors and develop innovative ways to tackle them.

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We will support the businesssector with:• Continued engagement with C2025

and the Food Waste Roadmap development to promote increasingly consistent, transparent, and Scottish-specific reporting (‘target, measure, act’).

• Developing, testing and promoting the use of the most cost-effective measuring and monitoring tools for businesses of all sizes.

• Integrating food waste into existing environmental and sustainability accreditation schemes or establishing requirements for new schemes.

• Working with industry leaders, through sector-specific forums, to offer support and advice to businesses on supply chain food waste ‘hotspots’.

• Gathering and sharing international best practice on food waste reduction measures with the Scottish food sector.

Sector Leadership

Everysectorhasitsparttoplayinreducingfoodwaste.Thepublicsectorisaleadinglight;positivelyinfluencingtheprivatesector,widersociety,andScotland’syoungpeopletomakefoodwastereductionpartofeverydaylife.Excitingprojectsandpilotprogrammesarealreadyunderway.

• ZeroWasteScotlandisworkingwithschools,communities,theNHS,andlocalauthoritiesacrossScotland.

• TheScottishfoodanddrinkindustryisengagingwithC2025.

• Smallandmedium-sizedenterprisesarereceivingZeroWasteScotlandfinancialsupporttoimproveefficiencyandreducefoodwaste.

• Excitingopportunitiesarebeingdevelopedinthereuseoforganicresources.

Public SectorThepublicsectorspendsmillionsofpoundsannuallyonfoodanddrink.Goodpracticeinthepublicsector,suchasmoreconsistentandstringentscoringfactorsinlocalauthoritypublicprocurers’tenders,willsetastandardforprivatesectorprocurementandsuppliers.

Thedriversoffoodwasteinschoolsarecomplexandnumerous.However,outcomesofinitiativessuchastheSmallChangeBigDifferencecampaignhaveshownthatpupilledclassroom-basedinterventions,intandemwithcateringmeasuringandmonitoringefforts,canreducewastewithinschools.Theprinciplesofa‘GoodFoodNation’,reinforcedthroughthevalueoffood,willalsoensurethatafuturegenerationofScotshasamoreholisticunderstandingofthetruecostoffoodwaste.

Foodwastepreventioninourhealthcaresystemisalsodifficulttoaddressbecauseofthesheersizeofthesystemthatcatersforthecompetingdemandsofitspatients,visitorsandstaff.Reducingfoodwaste,whilemeetingpatients’nutritionalneeds,couldlowercosts.TheNHShascommittedtodevelopinganationalactionplanandtheprocesswillbeinitiatedin2019.

Support public and private sector leadership on food wasteLead organisation: Zero Waste Scotland

We will:• Expand pilot programmes across the

education sector (schools, colleges, universities and local authorities) and in the government’s and other public sector buildings.

• Support the development and implementation of the NHS Scotland national action plan on food waste.

• Develop best practice guidance and training for public sector procurement teams to drive new ways of working and more transparent supply chains

• Build skills, competency and knowledge on the management of food waste.

• Update the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ education pack and expand its distribution and facilitation.

Business SectorFoodwastepreventioncanonlybeeffectivelyachievedbydrivingtransformativechangeinbusinesspracticethroughoutthefoodsupplyandvaluechain,andacrossallsectors.Overproductionatthefarmgate,unnecessarilystringentspecifications,andpoorprocurementpracticesarecommonexamplesofdriversofsupplychainfoodwaste‘hotspots’.

Wewilladdressthiswith:• Greatermonitoringandpublicreportingon

supplychainfoodwaste;• Increasedaccountabilityandtransparency

and;• Theencouragementofbusinessestotake

collectiveresponsibilityforfoodwasteoccurringthroughouttheirsupplychains.

TherecentlyreleasedFoodWasteReductionRoadmapdevelopedbyWRAPandtheIGD(InstituteofGroceryDistribution)suggeststhatbusinessesarewillingtoparticipate.

Wewillincreaseparticipationand‘cascade’bestpracticebyincorporatingfoodwastereductionandreportingcriteriaintoexistingaccreditationstandardsandqualifications.Thiswillembedfoodlossandfoodwasteconsiderationsintobusinessmodels.

• Support the integration of food waste prevention into relevant aspects of the national curriculum.

• Working with Good Food Nation measures including their food education programmes.

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We will support the Hospitality andCatering sector by:• Providing dedicated resources and

a sector champion to build on and expand engagement and facilitation across this priority sector.

• Identifying and demonstrating the value of reducing food waste to the sector through the expansion of business advice and support services.

• Developing activities with sector stakeholders and suppliers to engage with multiple businesses (i.e. their membership or customers).

• Developing best practice guidance for prioritised sub-sectors.

• Integrating food waste awareness and management into hospitality training; in further education and in Continuous Professional Development.

Hospitality sectorTheHospitality&Cateringsectorisverydiverse,anditisdifficulttoofferfoodwastesolutionswhenitischallengingtoevenquantifythevolumeofwastethatthissectorproduces.

ArecentanalysisfromChampions12.3foundthathalfofthe1,200businessesreviewedsawatleasta14-foldreturnontheirinvestmentinfoodlossandwastereductionefforts.Thereisaneedtoworkwiththehospitalityindustryonsuchelementsasbusinessmodels,portionsizing,andleftoversandalsowithconsumersregardingtheirdiningandorderingbehaviour.

Ourworkwilladdresssub-sectorssuchas:hotels,restaurants,quickservicerestaurants,food-to-gospecialists,coffeespecialistsandtakeawaysandwilldeveloptargetedandpracticalbestpracticeguidance.Wewillprioritiseourworkwithsub-sectorsaccordingtotheirpotentialtoreducefoodwasteandtheircapacitytoadapt.

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CASE STUDY: Good to Go

Click here

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We will promote food waste reuse andrecycling by:• Launching the national campaign,

‘Food Gone Bad’ to educateconsumers on the environmentaldamage caused by food wasteand encourage them to recycleunavoidable food waste.

• Developing targeted campaigns thatwork with Food Standards Scotlandand with Local Authorities to improverecycling rates amongst ‘hard toreach’ audiences whose participationis poor.

• Working together with SEPA tocommunicate the importanceof improving the quality of ourfood waste recycling to reducecontamination.

• Raising awareness of how our foodwaste can be a valuable resource forScotland.

For food labelling we will work with Food Standards Scotland, across the UK governments, with industry and WRAP to help reduce consumer confusion and increase knowledge on:• The information used on labels (for

example, ‘Best Before’ rather than ‘Use By’);

• The length of time between thepurchasing of a product and theexpiry date;

• Advice on how long a product is stillgood to eat after its packaging hasbeen opened and;

• Optimal storage and freezing advice.

Public engagement & communication

Householdsandconsumersaretheleadingsourceoffoodwaste(61%)andsustainedandwide-reachingcommunicationswiththeScottishpublicisvital.Ourconsumerfoodwastepreventionactionswillbebasedonthelatestinbehaviourchangescience;dynamicandresponsivetochangingconsumerbehaviour.TheywillalsoalignwithotherfoodandsustainabilityinitiativessuchasGoodFoodNation.Weaimtoempowerhouseholdersandconsumerstodrivechangeintheirownhomesandtopromptfurtherchangeinthebusinessandpublicsectors.

Wewilldothisbyincreasingcommunicationsactivitybetweennowand2025.Multi-channelledandaudience-specificcampaignswillreachScotland’shouseholdersandconsumerswithmessagesthatfocusonpreventingfoodwaste,foodreuseandrecycling.

Thefirstcampaign,fromGreenerScotland,willlaunchjustbeforethepublicationofthisPlan.

Preventing food waste PreventionisthehighestpriorityinthefightagainstfoodwasteandthefocusoftheLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandconsumerfocusedprogrammesinceitslaunchin2009.ManyofthemostsuccessfulcampaignshavefocusedonkeyperiodsoffoodwastelikeChristmas,HalloweenandBurn’sNight.Thecampaignsprovidepracticaladvice,educatingandinspiringconsumerswithrecipeideas,shoppingtipsandstorageguidance.Key

elementsinLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandistheconsistencyofthemessageandaccessibleformatofthedelivery.

Progresshasbeenmade,andthepublicrecognitionoftheenvironmentalandsocietalimpactoffoodwasteisgrowingdaily.However,sustainedandlarge-scalepubliccommunicationsareurgentlyneededtoempowerthehouseholderandconsumertodrivechange.Wehaveseenhowpowerfultheconsumerhasbeenindrivingchangeontheissueofplasticpackaging.

Sustained and large-scale public communications activity on food waste

We aim to replicate this kind ofbehaviour change through:• Educating consumers by providing

information based on robust evidenceand insight;

• Promoting tools for the consumerand householder to prevent waste intheir own homes;

• Working with C2025 partners andbusinesses to address issues such aspack size, single portion pricing, andportion guidance2;

• Delivering integrated, audience-specific marketing campaigns and;

• Using ‘Food Waste Champions’(chefs, and key figures from differentsectors) to help reach and engage allaudiences.

How to reuse and recycle food wasteRecentScottishGovernmentresearchshowsthatconsumersareunawareoftheenvironmentaldamagecausedbyfoodwaste.ShortlybeforethepublicationofthisPlan,thegovernment’sGreenerScotlandteamwillraiseawarenessofthisissuewithanationalintegratedcampaign‘FoodGoneBad’.Thiswillencouragemorehouseholderstorecycletheirfoodwasteeffectively;meaningthatlesswillgotolandfillandmorewillbecomeasourceofrenewableenergy.

Thecontaminationoffoodwastecanresultinapotentiallyvaluableresourcebeingsenttolandfillorresultinginenvironmentalcontaminationifusedforcomposting.Improvingthequalityoffoodrecyclingwill,therefore,beakeymessageinourcommunicationstohouseholdersandbusinesses.

Food labelling Extensiveconfusionaboutthemeaningofdifferentfoodproductlabellingleadsconsumerstoprematurelydisposeofsignificantamountsoffood.Providingconsumerswithclearandconsistentproductlabels,andabetterunderstandingofwhenfoodisnolongersafeforconsumption,willhelpthemtoreducewaste,makethemostoftheirfoodpurchases,andsavemoney.

UndertheC2025agreement,thisworkwithkeyindustrysignatories(includingallmainUKretailers)isalreadywellunderwayandbestpracticeguidanceispublished.Scotlandwillcontinuetocontributetothisprocessandwilllaunchcommunicationstodeveloppeople’sunderstandingofnewlabellingandofthebestwaytostorefood.

Lead organisation: Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland & Food Standards Scotland

2Wrapwillconsultondraftguidance/criteriaforpackandportionsizeandrelativepricingduring2019.

CASE STUDY: Love Food Hate Waste ’Festive Food Waste

Fight’ with Gary MacLean

Click here

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Supporting the delivery of a new approach to food waste

AScottishFoodWasteHubwillprovideaone-stop-shopforfoodwasteissuesinScotland.Itwillbedrivenbytheprinciplesofthecompletefoodsurplusandwastehierarchy,supportfoodwasteprevention,andencouragetheoptimisationofScotland’sbio-resources.ItwillharnesstheexistingexpertiseinZeroWasteScotland,othernationalagenciesincludingSEPAandFoodStandardsScotland,andScottishResearchInstitutes.ItwillalsobuildandusewiderlinkstootherforumsexistingundercurrentUKarrangementssuchasC2025andEUPlatformactivities.TheHubwillbegovernedbyamulti-stakeholderSteeringGroup.

Scotlandisworld-renownedforbreakthroughscienceandinnovation.Thereishugeopportunitytobringtogetherourresourcesandtalentstoaddressthefoodwastechallengethroughthedevelopmentofadynamicbioeconomy.Inaccordancewiththewastehierarchy,thereuseoffoodwasteresourcesisfarmoredesirableandsustainablethanitsdisposal.Therefore,allpreventionandredistributionsoptionsmustbeexhausted.

Industryrecognisesthisasamajor–andunder-utilised-resourcestream.Thescaleoftheopportunityishuge:morethan27milliontonnesofbio-resourcesariseeveryyearinScotland(ZeroWasteScotland2017).Evenwithinthelimitsofexistinglegislationandwasteregulations,thesecouldbeconvertedintolowcost,highqualityanimalfeedsorturnedintohighvaluerenewableproductssuchasnutraceuticals,pharmaceuticalsandchemicals.

IntheWhisky,FishandBeersectorsalone,wecouldsaveanestimated£500to£800millioneveryyearbymakingbetteruseofwasteandby-products(ZeroWasteScotland2015).TheplannedactionswilldrivetheScottishbioeconomyandensure,whenfoodwasteisnotpreventable,thatitcanprovideausefulresourceandalsohelptokeepScottishbusinessesattheforefrontofthisrapidlyevolvingarea.

The Food Waste Hub will:• Expand Scotland’s business advice

and support services for SMEsthrough Zero Waste Scotland’s fundsand programmes;

• Provide technical support andspecial financial assistance to foodbusinesses; overcoming the barriersand accessing technologies;

• Develop a ‘matchmaking’ service topair novel technologies with potentialfunders and users across the foodsupply chain;

• Analyse Scotland’s skills in this areaand identify which skills are neededto support food waste prevention andoptimise bio-resources

• Raise awareness of food wastehierarchy’s principles; promotingalternative uses for food wastewhere collection is unavailable orunviable.

• Promote research into innovation toidentify emerging Bio-technologiesand facilitate collaborations betweenbusinesses that generate food wasteand those who can utilise theseresources.

Establish a Food Waste Hub to deliver coordinated and collaborative actionLead organisation: Zero Waste Scotland

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CASE STUDY: Black Soldier Fly larvae

could turn some of Scotland’s food waste

into salmon feed

Click here

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Foodonlybecomeswastewhenitisnolongercomplieswithfoodsafetyorhygienerequirements.Makingsureitisredistributedbeforethispointwill,therefore,reducefoodwaste.

Manyorganisationsalreadyusehighqualitysurplusfoodaspartoftheircommunityactivities.SomedosowithsupportfromtheScottishGovernment’sFairFoodFund,whichwillbe£3.5millionin2019-20.TheScottishGovernmentiscommittedtomakingScotland“acountrywhereeveryonehasaccesstonutritiousfoodwithoutneedingemergencyfoodaid”.InacceptingrecommendationsfromanIndependentWorkingGrouponFoodPovertyin2016,ScottishGovernmentrecognisedthecontributionsurplusfoodcanmaketodaywithinabroaderframeworkthatpromotesdignityandisfocusedontacklingthecausesofpoverty.Morewidely,foodsharingorredistributioncanbebothmacroormicroinscaleanditspossibilitiesaregeneratinginterestatlocalandnationallevels.Manyorganisationsaccesssurplusbybuildingdirectrelationshipswithretailersorproducers,othersworkwithorganisationslikeFareSharewhomaketheconnection,andsomeusetechnologyorsharedassetstoavoidwaste.

TherearealreadymanyexamplesofsuccessfulredistributioninitiativesacrossScotland:• CommunityfridgesinKirkcaldy,Glasgow

(Pollokshields)andMull&Iona;• Edinburgh’sFoodSharingHubwhichis

facilitatedbytheShrubCo-op,part-funded

byZeroWasteScotland,andworkingwithTesco,Co-opandLidland;

• AnincreasingnumberofmobileappssuchasTooGoodToGo,Olioandmanyothers,offerredistribution.

To scale up food surplus redistributionand ensure that no edible food is wasted,we will:• Work with SEPA to provide advice and

guidance to business and charities regarding their legal obligations and statutory waste management obligations for food waste;

• Work with Food Standards Scotland to review food standards and reduce barriers to food waste redistribution;

• Consult, in 2019, on an obligation for food retail sites over a certain size to ensure that they redistribute edible products in line with the principles of the food waste hierarchy;

• Support Scottish businesses in their commitment to redistribution targets in line with the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap;

• Continue to offer financial support to Scottish redistribution charities and;

• Develop our advice and support service for community redistribution projects such as community fridges and innovative food redistribution hubs.

Promote community food redistribution and consult on food surplus obligationsLead organisation: Zero Waste ScotlandCASE STUDY:

Moray Food Bankand The Fair Food

Transformation Fund

Click here

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Measuring progress and demonstrating success

Leadership, governance and deliveryLeadershipisvitaltothesuccessofthisPlan.TheScottishGovernmentwilldrivepolicyandZeroWasteScotlandwilldeliveritsMeasures.AcleardefinitionofrolesandresponsibilitiesamongthemanyplayersacrossthefoodwastelandscapewillbeimportanttothePlan’seffectiveness.AleadorganisationhasbeenidentifiedforeachMeasureandtheywilldriveactionsandactivitiesincollaborationwiththeirstakeholders.

Investing for successAchievingsuchanambitioustargetwillrequiresignificantinvestment.Thisneednotallbe‘new’moneyandwecouldoptimiseouruseoftheexistinginnovationandbusinesssupportfundingstreamsavailablethroughZeroWasteScotlandandtheScottishEnterpriseAgencies.Measuresfocusedonresearchandinnovationcouldbenefitfromnational,UKandEuropeanfundingstreams.

Sofar,Scotlandhasinvestedcloseto£30millioninfoodwasteprevention,managementandre-use.Toreducefoodwasteby33%by2025,implementingtheMeasuresoutlinedinthisPlan,weanticipateafurtherinvestmentofapproximately£20million.

ThisPlanwillmakeareturnonthisinvestment.Reducingfoodwasteby33%by2025willsavethepublicsector,businessesandhouseholdsmoney.ItwillalsoreduceournationalenvironmentalimpactandshowScotlandasaleaderintheglobalfightagainstclimatechange.

Measuring progressThisPlanaimstoreduceScotland’sfoodwasteby33%.Toachievethis,wemustestablish

clearmethodsformeasuringprogresstowardsthattarget.

ItisdifficulttopredicttheexactimpactorsuccessoftheMeasuresoutlinedinthisPlan.Scotland’sambitious33%targetisnotsomethingthatcanbeachievedbyreplicatingactionsfromsomewhereelse,therearenoexamplestofollow,althoughothercountriesarealsoworkingtowardsafoodwastereductiontargetandlearningandexperiencecanbeshared.

Foodwastesolutionsareseldom‘offtheshelf’orfromadirectlytransferablesituationandtheyarealwaysdifficulttomeasure.Furthermore,theprecisedeliveryoftheseMeasuresishighlylikelytoaffectthescaleandspeedwithwhichtheymakeanimpact.

Baseline and food waste monitoring developmentsScotland’sfirstfullfoodwastebaselineused2013data(ZeroWasteScotland2016)fromSEPAandZeroWasteScotlandstudies.The2013baselineestimatehassincebeenupdated(seeScottishBaselineUpdateTechnicalBriefing);deployingimprovementsinknowledgeandmethodsfromaroundtheworld.ThisPlanutilisestheupdatedbaseline.

WewillcontinuetomonitorandupdateestimatesoffoodwasteinScotland,totrackthereductionsthatthePlangenerates,andtouseourimprovingknowledgeofwherewasteisandhowitcanbestbetackled.

SeveralMeasuresinthisPlanwillimprovethequalityofourdataand,asaresult,theywillhelptomakeusmoreeffectiveintacklingspecificissues.

TheEUisexpectedtorequirethestandardisedreportingoffoodwastefromMemberStatesfrom2020onwards,andtheScottishGovernmentexpectstocomplywiththis.

Untilthen,foodwastewillnot,atleastinitially,bereportedannuallybecauseofthehighcostofdeliveringsomeelementsoffoodwastemeasurement,infrastructurerequirements,andtheneedtogivepolicyinterventionstimetotakeeffect.

AdetailedmonitoringandreportingtimelinewillbedevelopedbytheWasteDataStrategyBoardtoalignwiththeprogressreportingtimelineofthisPlan.

Keeping the Plan on trackThisPlanoutlinesadynamicandagileprogrammetoreachour33%reductioninScotland’sfoodwaste.Italsoprovidesthestructureforitsreportingandreview.In2021,theFoodWasteHubwillreviewandassessthelatestestimatesofScotland’sfoodwasteandourprogresstowardstarget.Thiswillbeanimportantreportingmilestone,beforewhichpotentialoptionswillbedevelopedto:•Optimisesuccess;•Integratenewsolutionsandtechnologies

and;•ToaddressanychallengestothePlan’s

progress.

Leadership is vital to the

success of this Plan

This Plan aims to reduce

Scotland’s food waste by 33%

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What success will look like

A33%reductioninfoodwasteinScotlandwillresultinthefollowingbenefits:• FoodwasteinScotlandwillbereducedby

290,000tonnes;• TheScottisheconomywillseeanetbenefit

ofnearly£2.7billion;• Scotland’scarbonfootprintwillreduceby

1.5%.• Wewillproducelowermethaneemissions

aslessfoodwastegoesintolandfill;• Scotlandcouldrealise27milliontonnesof

availablebio-resourcesinScotland;• AprosperinganddynamicScottishbio-

economy;• Agreaternationalunderstandingofthe

valueoffoodandofitsenvironmentalimpact.

• AScottishfoodculturethatrespectshowfoodcanimpactourhealth,ourwellbeingandourcommunities’cohesion.

33% reduction in food waste in

Scotland

A greater national understanding of

the value of food and of its environmental

impact

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Macleans Highland Bakery: A cracker of an opportunity

Take some leftover grains from a local brewery. Add a little flour and butter, perhaps some seasoning, and a magical touch gleaned from years’ of baking experience. What do you get? For Macleans Highland Bakery in Forres, it’s a tasty cracker with global sales potential that reduces waste at the same time.

Backin2017,awasteaudit,arrangedthroughZeroWasteScotland’sResourceEfficiencyprogramme,promptedthequestion:couldMacleansHighlandBakeryusethespentgrains,draff,comingoutofthenearbyWindsweptBrewingCompanyinLossiemouth?Draffisafibreby-productofbeerandwhiskyproductionthatisrichinprotein.Atthatpointintime,thedraffatWindsweptBrewingCompanywasbeingcompostedbutbyconsideringamorecircularapproachtherewasthepotentialtocapturemorevaluefromthematerial.

Afterthecollaborationwassuggested,MacleansHighlandBakerygottoworkwiththenewproductdevelopmentandexploringhowtheymightusethedraffasanalternativetoflour.Theteambakedbread,rolls,oatcakesandcrackersandgotsomegoodresults.ThebreadworkedwellbutthecrackerswereabetterfitforthebusinessandMaclean’splansforthefuture.Thebiscuitfrombeerwasborn.

NotonlydoesthedraffaddadepthofflavourtoMaclean’snewproductbutitgivesthecrackerarealpointofdifferenceandsenseofprovenance.Atthemoment,thedraffcrackersaremadebyhand.Allgoingwell,thebakerywillscaleuptoproducethecrackercommercially.Anofficiallaunchisplannedfortheendof2019.

Managingdirector,LewisMaclean,spokeofhisambitionsforthecracker:“I’mlookingtomakeagreatproductwithascleanalabelaspossible.Andwewantthepackagingtobeminimalandinkeepingwiththezerowastephilosophy.”

MacleansHighlandBakeryshowcaseswhatabusinesscanachievebylookingatitsprocesses,exploringnewideas,andcollaboratingwithotherbusinesses.WithinScotland,thereisanappetiteforinnovationtotransformsurplusfoodstuffsintohighervalueproductsthroughadoptingcirculareconomyprincipleswithbenefitsforprofitabilityandplanet.

Case Study

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Primary school waste warriors – St Bridget’s Primary

St Bridget’s Primary in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, is a prime example of a school that has immersed itself in the battle against food waste. The school has been actively tackling food waste since 2017 making lunchtime a place of learning – as well as eating!

PupilsareattheheartofStBridget’sapproachwith‘WasteWarriors’actingaslunchtimewasteauditorswhoseroleistoencouragepupilstoeattheirlunchorshareitwithabuddy.Theyalsotakepicturesofthecleanplatesandensurethatanyunavoidablewasteorrecyclingisputinthecorrectarea.Attheendofeachlunchsessiontheyweighandrecordthebagsoffoodwastesothatprogresscanbemeasured.

HeadTeacher,MrHopkinsexplains:“WehaveameetingintheschooleveryMondaymorningwithallthepupils,staff,nurserychildrenandusuallyabout30to40parents.Oneofthefirstthingswedoistoshowthezerowastepictures,whichwealsoputonTwitter.Thepublicityandspotlightinghasbeenreallyeffectiveingettingthepupilsengaged.”

Andthisfocusonfoodwastehasalsobeenadoptedbytheyoungstersoutsideschoolthrough‘zerowasteathome’and‘zerowasteout’withfamiliestakingpicturesoftheiremptyplatesinrestaurants.

LauraMcNallyisacateringassistantatStBridget’saswellashavingasonattheschoolwhoisoneofitsWasteWarriors.“Thewastefromourkitchenhasfallendramaticallyandthemessageisgoinghometoparentstoencouragetheirchildrentoeatmoreandthrowlessout.”

AndwhatdotheWasteWarriorsthink?“It’sawasteoffoodtoputitinthebin.We’reWasteWarriors.Weneedtofightthattomakeitstopgoinginthebin.”

StBridget’sPrimarySchooldemonstrateshowawholeschoolapproachcanhavewiderbenefitsforpupils,parentsandcommunityasweallstrivetodoourbittofightfoodwasteinScotland.

Case Study

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In December 2018, Love Food Hate Waste Scotland launched a campaign to reduce food waste at Christmas, fronted by popular MasterChef winner and Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean.

Evidencesuggeststhat100,000turkeysarewastedeachDecemberinScotland.Oneofthemainreasonsforthisiscookingattoohighatemperature.Otherbehavioursthatresultinfestivefoodwasteareover-buyingandnotusingupleftovers.

Tocounterthisproblem,thecampaignfocussedonGarycallingonScotstoturndownthetemperatureoftheovenandcookthebirdforlongertoachievetheperfectfestiveroast.Thismessagewasbroughttolifeinthreevideos,whereGarysharedhistopturkeytips(Buysmallerthanyouthinkyouneed,Clevercarving,Turndownyourovenandcookupsidedown).

ThecampaignwasdeliveredthroughablendofPRandsocialmediaadvertisingandcontent.Thisintegratedapproachtargetedbusyfamiliesandcouplesintherunuptoandduringthefestiveseason,aimingtosupporttheminanaccessibleandpositiveway.

Otherfood-savingtoolsweredeveloped,includingawaste-freeChristmasdinnershoppinglisttofeedtwo,fouroreightpeople.Veganswerecateredfortoo,withafestivemenuforfour.Thecampaignalsofeaturedfivecreativedishestouseupleftovers.

Tosupportthiscontent,anoverarchingPRcampaignfeaturingGaryMacleanwithturkeyfarmerRogerLucey,ofGartmornFarm,highlightedtheneedtovalueourfoodandconnectwithwhereitcomesfrom.

Theresultsofthisactivityincluded178piecesofmediacoverage,involvinginternationaltitlessuchastheHuffingtonPost,withatotalreachof326.8million.TheLoveFoodHateWasteScotlandFacebooksawatotalpagereachof557,000and3422individualengagementthatgeneratedinteractionsandinformationsharingbetweenfollowers.

AspartofthegrowingmovementagainstfoodwasteinScotland,campaignssuchasthiswillplayakeyroleinempoweringpeopletomakesmallchangesthat,collectively,canhaveabigimpact.

Love Food Hate WasteScotland: ‘Turn downfor Turkey’ with ChefGary Maclean

Case Study

Good to Go

Every year £200 million worth of food is wasted in Scotland’s hospitality sector. Around 34% of this is estimated to be ‘plate waste’ – good food left over at the end of a meal.

GoodtoGoishelpingtochangetheculturearoundleftoversbygivingcustomersaneasywaytotakeuneatenfoodhome.

ZeroWasteScotland’sresearchrevealedthat,whilecustomersarekeentobeoffered‘doggybags’,twofifthsaretooshytoask.RestaurantsparticipatinginourGoodtoGopilot,wherecustomerswereproactivelyoffereddoggybags,reportedaveragefoodwastereductionsof42%.Theyalsosaidthatcustomersoverwhelminglywelcomedtheservice.

ByprovidingthecustomerwithadvicefromFoodStandardScotlandforkeepingfoodsafeoneachGoodtoGobox,theschemealsoaddressespossiblesafetyfears.

ZeroWasteScotlandnowoffersfreeGoodtoGostarterpacks,thatinclude300boxes,bagsandcommunicationmaterials,toorganisationsemployingupto250people.Sofar,morethan300Scottishbusinesses,socialenterprisesandcharitieshavetakenpartintheGoodtoGoinitiative.

Case Study

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Moray Food Bankand The Fair FoodTransformation Fund

Case Study

The Scottish Government’s Fair Food Transformation Fund aims to “support projects that give a more dignified response to food poverty and help to move away from emergency food aid as the first response.” The fund invests in projects that balance current demands for emergency food aid with community-led long-term solutions to food insecurity. In 2019-20, the Fund will invest £3.5 million in projects that benefit individuals, families and communities, while also reducing food waste.

MorayFoodBankinElginhasreceived£52,977ofFairFoodTransformationFundingbetween2017and2019.Havingstartedasatraditionalfoodbank,operatingfromafixedlocationinElgin,thisprojecthasprogressedontoawiderdistributionmodel.ItworkswithlocalfoodsuppliersandwithotherservicestoprovidesupportforpeopleexperiencingfoodpovertyacrossMoray.

Theprojecthasbroadenedtheopportunitiesforpeopletoaccessfoodaidineasierandmoredignifiedways.Theycanchoosetousefoodbanks,enjoycommunitylunchesandaccesscommunitylardersinarangeofconvenientanddiscreetlocations.

Havingestablishedconnectionswithitsparticipants,MorayFoodbankhasbeenableto

extenditssupporttoincludeadviceonfuelandonaccessingotherservices.

MorayFoodBankhasbroughtevenbiggerbenefitstoitsusers’lives;itofferspeoplethechancetoengagewiththeircommunitybyvolunteeringwiththeproject.Theprojectfocusesonfindingameaningfulroleforeveryone,workingaroundwhateverbarriersvolunteersmayhave,toensurethattheyfeelusefulandinvolved.Theprojecthasbuiltastrongnetworkofparticipants,volunteers,suppliersandsupportservices.BecausesomuchofMorayisrural,thefoodbankexperiencedthespecificchallengesofservingawidespreadcommunityandofbeingfurtherfromthenetworkingopportunitiesavailabletosimilarorganisationsintheCentralBelt.

Longer-termsupportfromtheFairFoodTransformationFundhashelpedprotectanddevelopthepartnershipsthataresoimportanttoMorayFoodBank,theservicesitprovidesandthepeoplewhouseit.

MorayFoodBankputsfood,thatmightotherwisehavebeenwasted,rightattheheartofitsservicestopeoplewhoneedhelp.Thissuccessfulcommunity-ledprojectillustrateshowacreativeandcoherentapproachtofoodanditsredistributioncanbenefitparticipants,theirfamiliesandtheircommunities.

Black Soldier Fly larvae could turn some of Scotland’s food waste into salmon feed

Black Soldier Fly larvae are voracious eaters who could help Scotland to reduce one strand of its food waste. They fatten up on organic residues from food manufacturing and agriculture and become a source of proteinfor salmon.

AsScotland’ssecondbiggestfoodexportindustry,salmonfarminguseshugevolumesoffeed,withalotofitsourcedfromwildcaughtfish.ThiscouldbereplacedbyingredientsfromBlackSoldierFlies,makingitanattractivecirculareconomyopportunityforturningfoodwhichmightotherwisehavebeenwastedintoavaluablefeedstock.Eventheby-productsfrominsectfarmingcouldhavepotentialeconomicvalue,astheycanbeprocessedandturnedintobiodiesel,chitosanandfertiliser.Withaworldleadingfoodanddrinkmanufacturingsector,alargesalmonfarmingindustry,andanemergentbiorefiningindustry,Scotlandiswell-placedtobeagloballeaderininsectfarming.

TheevidencegatheredbyZeroWasteScotlandsuggeststhatBlackSoldierfliescouldalsobepartofthesolutionforenvironmentalproblemsassociatedwithfoodwaste.Atpresent,themostenvironmentallyeffectivemethodusedfortreatingfoodwasteinScotlandisanaerobicdigestion(AD).ZeroWasteScotland’sreportestimatesthatBlackSoliderFlytreatmentoffoodwastefrommanufacturingbusinesses

couldgenerateadditionalenvironmentalandfinancialbenefits.

TohighlightthepotentialofBlackSoldierFlies,ZeroWasteScotlandorganisedtheScotland’sfirstinsectfarmingconferenceinEdinburghin2019.Theorganisationhasalsobeenworkingwithtechnologystart-upcompany,Entocycle.

Entocycle’sbusinessisinsectfarming.Itgrowsandharvestsflylarvaetoproduceprotein-richflourthatcanbeusedinaquacultureoraspetfood.In2018,ZeroWasteScotlandhelpedthecompanytoidentifyopportunitiesandEntocyclehopestobegintherolloutinearly2020.

KeiranWhitaker,Entocycle’sCEOandfounder,said;“Whenitcomestoinsectproduction,allroadsleadtoScotland.Thewastestreams,financialsupport,salmonindustry…it’sallthere.Forgreentechnologytoevolveyouneedforwardthinkinglocalauthoritiesandpublicbodiestosupportthembecauseit’sinherentlyrisky.HavingagencieslikeZeroWasteScotland,whichcanbeadrivingforceinapositiveway,isvitallyimportant.”

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