How scrapping ‘best before’ labels is reducing food waste
How Supermarkets Are Helping Reduce Food Waste
According to the UK climate charity WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), 70% of the 6.6 million tonnes of food thrown away at home each year could have been eaten. So why does this happen? Often, it comes down to ‘best before’ labels.
The good news is that supermarkets are taking action. They are preventing millions of baskets worth of food from going to waste by removing labels and encouraging consumers to use their judgement. Several supermarket chains have committed to reducing food waste by 2030 and are phasing out best before dates on packaging.
What Supermarkets Are Doing
Sainsbury’s: Changed or removed date labels from more than 1,500 fresh produce items.
Co-op: Replaced use by dates with best before dates on own-brand yoghurts.
Morrisons: Removed use by dates on own-brand milk and encourage customers to use a “sniff test” to check safety.
Date labels are still required on certain products under the Food Standards Agency rules. However, WRAP has criticised best before dates on fruit and vegetables as unnecessary. They argue these labels lead perfectly good food to be thrown away.
Best Before vs Use By
Best before dates indicate food quality. You can still eat food past this date if it looks, smells, and tastes fine.
Use by dates indicate food safety. You should not eat food past its use by date.
By using judgement instead of discarding food immediately at its best before date, households can significantly reduce waste.
Why Reducing Food Waste Matters
Globally, 900 million tonnes of food are wasted every year. This contributes around 10% of global carbon emissions due to the resources needed to produce food and its decomposition in landfill.
In the UK, WRAP estimates that removing best before dates from the 10 most wasted fruit and vegetables could cut annual household food waste by more than 50,000 tonnes.
Protecting our planet requires action from all of us. Supermarket initiatives like these are a positive step in the fight against climate change.
Tips to Reduce Waste at Home
As food costs rise, reducing waste is also good for your wallet. You can extend the life of food by getting creative with leftovers and using ingredients fully. Common household items often safe to eat past their best before date include:
Eggs
Frozen food
Bread
Potatoes
Canned food
Cereal
Baking ingredients (flour, sugar)
By saving food from landfill, you can reduce CO2 emissions, cut costs, and make a real environmental impact.
Take Action
Reducing food waste is one of the easiest ways to fight climate change, and everyone has a role to play. What does your role look like?
If you’d like to know more about Chambers Waste Management Solutions, please get in touch.
If you’d like to know more about Chambers Waste Management Solutions, please get in touch.
