Sodexo is ‘on track’ to halve food waste in its UK and Ireland operations by the end of this year, the company has said.
The 2025 goal was established as part of the company’s Better Tomorrow commitment, which was set in 2017, with Sodexo set to meet the target five years ahead of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of 2030.
Sodexo UK and Ireland has rolled out its WasteWatch programme, which collects data on food waste, identifies sources of waste, and provides insights to help personnel, to 530 locations across the UK and Ireland.
About WasteWatch
Since the launch of WasteWatch in 2015, the programme has successfully prevented 10,381 metric tonnes of (carbon dioxide equivalent) CO₂e, and saved more than 2.7 million meals from going to waste, Sodexo noted, while in the past six months alone, the programme has helped prevent 1,929 metric tonnes of CO₂e emissions.
Currently, Sodexo has been able to achieve an average 45% reduction in food waste across its sites where WasteWatch is deployed.
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‘Drive meaningful change’
“As a business serving a million meals every day, reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways we can cut carbon emissions and drive meaningful change,” commented Claire Atkins Morris, sustainability director at Sodexo UK & Ireland.
“WasteWatch gives us the data and insights needed to understand where waste is happening and take targeted action to prevent it. By embedding this approach across our sites, we are not only making a significant impact on our environmental footprint, but also contributing to a more sustainable food system.”
Sodexo UK and Ireland’s latest net zero progress report, which is due to be published this month, will reveal insights on its supply chain engagement strategy and efforts to reduce supply chain emissions compared to its 2017 baseline. In 2022, Sodexo became the first foodservice business to have its net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Read more here.
