Too Good To Go report: ‘Increased awareness but a lack of action’

The report, entitled ‘Food Waste Gap Report: Exploring Disconnect Between Awareness and Action’ suggests that almost two thirds of businesses have also increased prioritisation of food waste, yet only one third believe they are managing it effectively.

Too Good To Go’s report is based on comprehensive research involving over 400 industry professionals and 1,000 UK consumers.

Key findings include:

• Growing awareness

As a society, food waste is costing nearly £22 billion per year in the UK alone. That’s 10.7 million tonnes of food going to waste and a quarter of all purchased food across the nation, but 68% of consumers prioritising this is a step in the right direction.

• Prioritisation

The data revealed that food waste is also said to be a high priority for food decision makers, rated in line with recycling and higher than avoiding plastic packaging or reducing electricity usage.

Nearly half of the businesses surveyed are reporting monthly net sales losses of 1-2.99% due to food waste and nearly one in ten businesses face losses between 3-4.99%.

• Barriers to effective action

Despite positive statistics, 34% of businesses believe they are managing it effectively – meaning there is still a gap between business intentions and effective action. Many feel that they currently lack the right resources to effectively manage their food waste (24%), others cite concerns around costs (28%) and operational disruption (28%).

Food decision makers in UK households (82%) feel businesses should be doing more to reduce food waste and 79% state they are more likely to purchase from businesses with measures in place to reduce it.

Sophie Trueman, country director UK&I, Too Good To Go, who previously took part in a Q&A for letsrecycle.com, said: “Our findings underscore the urgent need for industry leaders to collaborate and share insights to bridge the gap between awareness and effective action in combating food waste and its environmental impact.

“At Too Good To Go, we are committed to supporting these efforts by offering scalable solutions that can help businesses manage food waste more effectively. We believe that by working together, we can make real strides in reducing food waste. The issue is broad, and it requires a collective effort from industry, businesses and consumers alike.”