Survey Reveals Five Steps Food Industry Businesses Can Take to Reduce Waste

We were intrigued by the FMI's research paper: The Power of Sustainability in the Food Industry, which illuminated shopper perspectives and industry strategies to cut down on food waste, something we’re pretty passionate about. We’ve done the hard part and not only read the report, but we’re adding in our take on the points raised too. Dig in!

Track Shopper Perspectives

We absolutely agree with the study that it's critical to be able to track the evolving perspectives of consumers, especially around sustainability. Consider just a few years ago how prevalent or of interest something like gluten free or vegan foods would be, and the stats now. One area that is music to our ears from the FMI research cited in the report is that more than 30% of shoppers say recycling/sustainability efforts and practices are among the most important attributes in their choice of a primary store.

We know it’s time for a change — Unilever estimates that almost 70% of its greenhouse gas footprint depends on which products customers choose and whether they use and sustainably dispose of them, but perhaps the emotional consumer of tomorrow, having been taught the ‘why’ of sustainability will be keener to explore the ‘how’, with resource preservation and local production probably being of keen importance. The rise of the more ethically minded consumer means there are those willing to pay more for products that meet their ethical standards. For you, that means there is a good opportunity for a repositioning, but you must get it right for the long term.

Choose Sustainability Initiatives

The new report presents benchmarks on the industry's overall quantified goals and implementation time frames for a range of efforts — including food waste reduction, energy use reduction, package waste reduction and responsible sourcing. Food industry companies vary in terms of how much effort they put into each sustainability strategy. Each company needs to decide on its own priorities and ensure that there is no greenwashing but true changes made across the business.

You may like to see how businesses such as Starbucks have integrated Orderly into their business to help reduce food waste through better inventory management and ordering, or read about some of the green packaging options available.

Communicate Action

The latest research indicates that companies are more likely to succeed if they not only embrace sustainability practices but also clearly communicate their actions to consumers and other stakeholders. Often, this is the last on the list when a big change is made, but the report indicates its importance. According to an industry survey, a huge nine out of ten employees in food-to-go businesses experience negative emotions over food wasted in their workplaces on a daily basis, according to the consumer app Too Good To Go.

The study also suggests that a lack of training and food waste prevention guidelines could be contributing to continued food waste, with less than half of food-to-go businesses having operations guidelines in place in this area. We covered a similar concept in our blog article all about employee engagement and employee initiatives to reduce food waste.

Leverage Key Resources

The study indicated that it is essential for food industry companies to take advantage of sustainability resources. There is, of course, FMI's Sustainable Packaging Assessment Guide, which assists retailers and their suppliers in advancing the efficient design, responsible sourcing, and circular systems for packaging, but your business may benefit from research support with the right technology to manage supply chain, AI solutions or indeed businesses that handle the physical waste. (Orderly is one such tool.)

When it comes to things such as mandatory food waste reporting, there's an administrative burden, which requires businesses to allocate resources, time, and effort to collect, analyse, and report data. There are also compliance costs. In our view, it’s crucial to be aware that you may need to invest in new technologies, systems, or staff training to meet changing requirements.

Embrace Partnerships

Leading on from resources you may need, the report stressed that sustainability is a complex journey, and it is helpful to develop partnerships that drive progress. Companies can boost success by working on sustainability with trading partners, associations, and other stakeholders. That’s just how we like to work, as a partner to your business.

Orderly's food and beverage (F&B) management software puts food waste reduction within everyone's grasp and can help you identify and decrease food waste for improved profits and outcomes.

Contact us to learn how your food and beverage chain can accurately and effectively make the changes needed to enhance long term sustainability and success.