Raising awareness of food waste

The fifth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) on Sunday 29^th September has brought renewed focus to the global issue of food waste.

Dr Christian Reynolds, from the Centre for Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London, is an expert on the topic, and he recently spoke about the legal, safety, and systemic aspects of food waste in the UK.

In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4 You and Yours, Dr Reynolds also emphasised the need for greater awareness and practical measures to combat food waste, which is an escalating environmental and social issue.

Catalyst for action

“I hope this day acts as a catalyst for increased awareness and action on food loss and waste,” said Dr Reynolds. “It’s crucial that we not only highlight the scale of the issue but also inspire and empower individuals, businesses, and governments to implement effective strategies to address it.” He also stressed the importance of setting measurable goals, such as halving food waste by 2030 in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3.

In the UK, food waste is a significant problem. A key solution, according to Dr Reynolds, would be mandatory measurement of food waste across the supply chain, which would provide clearer insights and drive more effective policies. He believes that IDAFLW is an opportunity to change societal and systemic attitudes towards valuing food and understanding its environmental and social impacts.

Addressing food waste

When discussing practices such as dumpster diving, Dr Reynolds expressed mixed feelings. "These practices can be unsafe, as we now have safer methods of food rescue, such as supermarket partnerships with organisations or apps like Olio and Too Good To Go, which allow surplus food to be redistributed safely."

Nevertheless, Dr Reynolds acknowledged the activism behind these practices, which highlight systemic problems within the food industry. "These forms of food rescue act as activism, drawing attention to wasteful systems and encouraging people to rethink their consumption habits. They foster a sense of collective responsibility towards reducing food waste."

Reducing food waste at home

However, according to Dr Reynolds retail food waste, though highly visible, only represents a small part of the overall issue—around 3% of total edible food waste in the UK, equating to 234,000 tonnes per year. By contrast, households generate 72% of edible food waste, amounting to 4.7 million tonnes. He stressed that addressing household food waste is critical, with actions such as meal planning, checking expiry dates, and proper storage making a significant difference.

Governments and corporations also play a pivotal role in addressing food waste. Dr Reynolds said that policies such as food labelling regulations and incentives for food donation or animal feed programmes could significantly reduce waste. He also highlighted the potential of Whole Purchase Agreements, where businesses agree to buy entire crops and find uses for them, as a powerful tool for reducing waste throughout the food supply chain.

Working together

“Governments and corporations need to work together to implement sustainable practices and make food waste reduction a non-competitive issue. While some companies are making progress, many still prioritise profit over sustainability, which hinders wider efforts. We need greater collaboration and transparency in reporting food waste reduction,” he added.

Public attitudes towards food waste are gradually changing, with growing awareness of its environmental and economic impacts. However, Dr Reynolds believes more needs to be done to drive meaningful change. "We’ve seen a shift in public attitudes over the last decade, but this message has been out there for years, and we now need a step-change. Reducing waste is not just a personal responsibility—it’s a collective one that requires better policy integration alongside cultural change."

As IDAFLW highlights the critical issue of food loss and waste, Dr Reynolds’ key message is clear: tackling this problem requires a coordinated effort from individuals, businesses, and governments.

“Ultimately, my hope is that this day encourages a cultural and wider food systems shift towards valuing food and understanding its impact on our environment and society,” he added.