Courtauld Commitment achieves initial waste reduction target

Wrap has reached its goal despite a 2% growth in the grocery sector and population growth of 0.5% per annum since the organisation’s inception in 2005.

Environment minister Joan Ruddock said that this was “the first time that we’ve seen a halt in the growth of packaging waste”.

Wrap has worked with retailers and brands on lightweighting and packaging innovation projects to help meet its targets.

Liz Goodwin, Wrap chief executive, said that packaging innovation not only helps to “address the consumers’ concerns”, but can improve a company’s “robustness”.

“One of the things about the Courtauld Commitment is that signatories have built their whole objective about packaging into their corporate strategies,” she said.

Wrap is now focussing on delivering absolute reductions on packaging waste by 2010 and tackling the issue of food waste through its Love Food, Hate Waste campaign.

It has set retailers the ambitious target of reducing household food waste by 155,000 tonnes by 2010.

Ruddock said that Wrap is “on track” to achieve these targets, and although the reduction in food waste is “challenging, it can be achieved”.

Weetabix and Procter & Gamble are the latest companies to join the list of 32 retailers and brands who have signed up to the Courtauld Commitment.

Wrap currently represent 92% of UK supermarkets.

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