Tag Archives: Paul Crewe

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Sainsbury’s & Oxfam call on people to recycle clothes this Spring

Sainsbury’s & Oxfam call on people to recycle clothes this Spring

 

London, 2017-Apr-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — Brits are set to get rid of 680 million pieces of clothing this season as they spring clean their wardrobes. However, the annual fashion detox will be damaging for the environment with a staggering 235 million garments expected to end in landfill, as people throw them in the bin rather than donating or recycling items.

  • Wardrobe revamp will see 680 million items cleared out, with 235 million heading to landfill
  • 49m people (75%) expect to throw clothes in the bin this spring, with men more likely than women
  • Half of people (49%) believe that worn out or dirty items can’t be donated
  • Sainsbury’s & Oxfam call on people to recycle clothes, which will be welcomed regardless of quality

Now, as we welcome back sunshine and thoughts turn to warmer days, new research released by Sainsbury’s has revealed how the start of a new season fuels the clothing waste problem.

In total, three quarters (75%) of Britons admit they will throw clothes in the bin this spring, rather than donating or recycling items, meaning charities will be missing out to landfill. On average people will dispose of 19 items with seven of those going straight in the bin.

The study also uncovered the reasons people don’t donate or recycle clothing, with half (49%) saying didn’t think they could because they were worn out or dirty. A further 16% admitted they don’t have time to visit a charity shop, or simply could not be bothered to sort items, while 6% of people didn’t realise clothing could be recycled.

Interestingly, men are more likely to send clothes to landfill, with 82% saying they’ll bin items this spring, compared to 69% of women. Men will throw out more than the national average with 21 items being discarded, of which eight (38%) will end up in landfill. Women on the other hand average 17 items, of which six (35%) will go to landfill.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability – Energy, Engineering & Environment for Sainsbury’s, said: “If clothes go out with the rubbish, they’ll end up in landfill, so we’ve teamed up with Oxfam to help Britons become more charitable and environmentally savvy this spring. No matter if they’re worn out or grubby, we’re calling on shoppers to donate their unwanted clothes at recycling points in our stores across the UK – perfectly placed to fit into the nation’s everyday routine.“

Sainsbury’s is the biggest single supplier of second-hand clothing for Oxfam shops and, in the last year alone, the retailer has helped recycle over 16.3 million garments, bringing in an estimated £3.6 million for the charity.

Oxfam promises that 100% of items donated via Sainsbury’s will be reused, resold or recycled, meaning that all items will be accepted regardless of style, condition or age. After being sorted at the charity’s ‘Wastesaver’ plant in Batley, Yorkshire, suitable items will be sold in Oxfam’s shops and online, or sent to support their social enterprise project in Senegal which creates jobs for disadvantaged women sorting and selling clothing in the local market. Items that aren’t fit for re-use can be turned into other textiles, used for the likes of insulation, sound proofing and padding.

Further findings also revealed that while half of respondents (47%) said their preferred way of getting rid of clothes was to take them to a charity shop, 15% said they’d normally throw items away in the rubbish. Again there’s a clear split between men and women, with a fifth (21%) of men favouring binning items, compared to half that (9%) amongst women.

Paul Crewe continued: “While recycling is now common-place for things like paper and plastics, it’s often overlooked when it comes to our clothes. But we’re trying to fix that and now have 340 donation points at our stores, so our customers can spruce their wardrobe in the knowledge that their old items will be making a difference elsewhere.”

Fee Gilfeather, Head of Retail Brand for Oxfam, added: “Many people still think that their unwanted clothes won’t make a difference to charities, but at Oxfam we can reuse or recycle almost anything. The items donated through Sainsbury’s raise millions, helping us continue our vital work to end extreme poverty around the world.

“For example, right now Oxfam is responding to the food crisis in East Africa, where 16 million people are facing terrifying food shortages. Oxfam is providing safe clean water, sanitation and food.  This is life-saving work and your unloved clothes really can make a huge difference.”

Sainsbury’s has Oxfam donation banks at 340 stores nationwide, allowing customers to drop off items while doing their shop. In the last year alone have seen a 15% increase in the number of clothes being donated. Last year more than 5,000 tonnes of clothing were donated through the partnership.

Oxfam and Sainsbury’s have been working in partnership since 2010. In addition to gathering clothing donations for the charity, Sainsbury’s is a member of Oxfam’s Emergency Response Network, helping respond to international crises.

Contact:

press_office@sainsburys.co.uk
020 7695 7295

Source: Sainsbury’s

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Sainsbury’s announces second phase of its Waste less, Save more strategy; commits to £1 million funding

Sainsbury’s announces second phase of its Waste less, Save more strategy; commits to £1 million funding
Sainsbury’s announces second phase of its Waste less, Save more strategy; commits to £1 million funding

 

London, 2016-Nov-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sainsbury’s has unveiled its latest move in the fight against food waste, by announcing a £1 million fund available to towns and cities across the UK. The commitment is the second phase of its Waste less, Save more strategy, designed to help households save money by reducing the amount of food destined for the bin.

  • Funding will be available across the UK as part of retailer’s Waste less, Save more programme
  • Over 110 towns and cities already signed up to take part, with others still able to apply
  • Second phase of retailer’s plan to help UK households radically reduce food waste at home

Announced at an event in Birmingham today (08 November 2016), the £1 million investment will be available to towns and cities which have signed up as Waste less, Save more ‘Discovery Communities’. From Dundee to Truro, the communities have been tasked with implementing programmes that have proved successful during a year’s worth a research in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, where the retailer launched their first phase of the food waste scheme in January 2016.

In addition to the funding, Sainsbury’s will provide Discovery Communities with detailed guidance to enable them to replicate the work in Swadlincote with a range of free or low-investment solutions.  These include running community events and schools programmes, through to larger initiatives such as the introduction of new technology in households.

Communities will be able to pick and choose their options based on their requirements, and will be able to apply for top-up funding to put these in place. Those with additional ideas can also pitch concepts to the Waste less, Save more ‘Dragon’s Den’ style panel which will approve additional funding for outstanding concepts.

Hosted at Birmingham’s Custard Factory, today’s event was attended by leaders from participating communities. In total 111 Discovery Communities have now been confirmed, and others that wish to be involved can register interest from today.

Speaking at the event in Birmingham, Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability, Property, Engineering and Environment for Sainsbury’s, said: “Today marks a significant milestone in our Waste less, Save more programme as we broaden out our focus from a single trial town to sharing our learnings with communities up and down the UK.

“With well over 100 communities already signed up, the response so far has been overwhelming and really highlights that the nation is waking up to food waste. Not only will a reduction have a huge environmental impact but, with families throwing away £700 a year on uneaten food, it will help put more money back in the pocket of British people too.”

David Rogers, WRAP added: “Today’s event has highlighted a huge appetite to reduce food waste across the country from local councils, community groups and businesses. WRAP’s research has shown the scale of food waste in the UK, and we know that action is needed – for people, our pockets and the planet. I’m delighted to see initiatives from Sainsbury’s shine a light on the issue of food waste, and we look forward to working together and supporting them every step of the way”.

Launched in late 2015, Waste less, Save more is a five year strategy from Sainsbury’s to help its customers waste less food and save more money. Each year, homes throw away 7 million tonnes of food, costing families an estimated £12.5bn. Following a nationwide search, the Derbyshire town of Swadlincote was selected as a test-bed for activity, with Sainsbury’s trialling a wide range of new initiatives across a one year period.

Trials taking place in the town include the Olio app which encourages food sharing amongst neighbours, and the ‘Fab Foods’ programme which has been designed to engage local schools. Elsewhere households are testing innovative technology such as smart fridges with internal cameras. By allowing residents to view contents via their smart phone, these fridges eliminate the risk doubling up during food shops, a practice which costs the UK £1.5 billion each year.

Those wishing to find out more on Waste less, Save more, or to get involved, can visit: sainsburys.co.uk/waste or email wasteless@sainsburys.co.uk.

Press Enquiries:
press_office@sainsburys.co.uk
020 7695 7295.

Source: Sainsbury

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Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more: 1.8 million full roast dinners wasted every month in UK

Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more: 1.8million full roast dinners wasted every month in UK
Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more: 1.8million full roast dinners wasted every month in UK

 

London, 2016-Nov-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — Britons prepare 108 million on average every month, eat one per week, and half of people rank it as their favourite autumn meal. But despite our love affair with the roast dinner, we waste a fifth (17%) of every one we make.

As the nation adjusts to the changing season, Sainsbury’s has already seen demand for roast ingredients rocket with potatoes perfect for roasties up 21 percent, beef joints up 12 percent, Horseradish sauce up 37 percent and Yorkshire puds have rocketed by 38 percent over the last four weeks.

However, despite our fondness for them, almost a fifth of every roast ends up in the bin, equating to 1.8 million full roast dinners every month in the UK, according to new research from the Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more campaign.

What’s more, a closer look reveals that it really is a case of ‘meat and two veg’ as we throw out double the amount vegetables (27%) compared to meat (13%).

On the flip side, the roast dinner ingredient we’re least likely to bin is the good old Yorkshire pudding, with 72% of people saying they eat all of their Yorkshire pud every time.  With eight out of ten (81%) agreeing, it’s Yorkshiremen and women who are most likely to eat all of their Yorkshire puddings compared with other areas of the country.

“Rediscovering the roast dinner is one of the joys of autumn, especially since 43% of people say it’s the meal they’re most likely to eat with their families”, commented Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability Energy, Engineering & Environment at Sainsbury’s.  “But we need to be careful that our enthusiasm for the British dish doesn’t leave us with more than we can eat –  becoming a nation of ‘Roast-Binners.’

“And it’s not just food we could save –  the average roast dinner for a family of four costs around £14**, meaning we’re throwing away £2.80 in leftovers. That’s £145.60 a year that families could pocket”

As part of its ‘Waste less, Save more’ campaign to reduce the 4.2 million tonnes of unnecessary food waste in the UK, Sainsbury’s found that 39% of people leave leftover food every time they eat with a quarter (24%) saying they are unsure of how to reuse or store leftovers, and half (50%) don’t have the right equipment in their kitchens to do so.

Paul Crewe at Sainsbury’s continues, “Respondents told us they wished they knew more about managing and cooking food at home, and we’re dedicated to helping them do so, which is why we recently launched our first nationwide advertising campaign to help shoppers waste less food and save more money.”

In the town of Swadlincote, where Sainsbury’s has invested £1 million to test new innovations in food reduction techniques, residents are taking part in the supermarket’s latest initiative, the ‘Zero Waste Kitchen Challenge’.

During the three-month trial, 50 households will receive £100 in vouchers, which can be spent on products that will help them cut down on food waste. Everything from smoothie-makers to portion baskets for pasta are on offer.

Continuing, Paul Crewe commented, “We hope the trial will tell us which items, advice or events people find most useful in helping reduce the amount of food they throw away. They’ll be give regular updates, participate in an online group and complete food waste diaries so we can collect a rich set of insights.”

ELEMENTS MOST LIKELY TO BE ROAST-BINNED:

  1. Roast potatoes
  2. Parsnips
  3. Carrots
  4. Cauliflower
  5. Broccoli
  6. Meat
  7. Sauce (including gravy)
  8. Peas
  9. Stuffing
  10. Yorkshire pudding

To find out more tips and tricks to reduce your food waste, and more about Sainsbury’s mission to help the nation Waste less, Save more visit: https://wastelesssavemore.sainsburys.co.uk/

SAINSBURY’S TOP TIPS TO AVOID BEING A ‘ROAST BINNER’ THIS AUTUMN:

        1. Turn roast lamb into a Mediterranean salad

Lamb is an especially flexible meat, and if planned properly can be cooked once and used for different style meals throughout the week

  2. Make a roast potato curry

Roast potato tikka masala is an easy way to use any leftover roasties. Drizzle tikka sauce over potatoes and fry until warm. Add as part of your normal curry recipe. Speed the process up and reheat your leftovers adding a jarred curry sauce as you go.

 3.  Learn to make catch-all meals for little bits

Rice bowls, salad, pizza, and soup all lend themselves to catch all the small portions from the week.

     4. Freeze It

Roast dinners have a variety of ingredients, so don’t let them go to waste if they don’t get used in that serving. Most food can be frozen (unless it’s been frozen before) and used another time!

  5. Roast dinner waste cake

Roast Dinners are good, but imagine a roast dinner cake! There have been increasingly more recipes for this type of cake, but this is our favourite! ROAST DINNER WASTE CAKE.

Press Enquiries:
press_office@sainsburys.co.uk
020 7695 7295.

Source: Sainsbury

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Research: Quarter of UK households waste £235 worth of food every year due to buying products they already have in the fridge

LONDON, 2016-May-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — Busy Britons could save hundreds of pounds with a simple selfie…. of their fridge. According to research by Sainsbury’s, a quarter of households waste £235 worth of food every year due to buying products they already have in the fridge. Annually, this amounts to a staggering waste bill of £1.5 billion for households in the UK.

  • Busy Brits bin up to £1.5billion worth of food a year due to overbuying
  • Bosch fridge selfie set to help cut down on waste
  • Waste less, Save more families now trialling latest Bosch fridge with camera technology
  • Fruit and veg is the most overstocked food
  • Sainsbury’s launches a guide to help shoppers avoid overbuying

Fruit and veg are the most overbought items with 38% and 35% of shoppers regularly stocking up on more than they need. Milk, cheese and eggs complete the top five products that are most frequently over-bought.

In a bid to avoid overbuying, 70% of Britons have tried to adopt the habit of checking the fridge before a food shop. However, despite their best intentions over 40% admit that they end up forgetting what they need by the time they get to the shop. In addition to this, shoppers are increasingly buying top-up products on their way home from work without checking their fridge first, which often leads to duplication.

But, a revolutionary new kitchen appliance could put an end to this costly problem. In a UK first, Bosch has launched a new fridge that uses cameras to snap the contents of shelves and the door.  A picture is uploaded to the shopper’s smartphone to view as they browse the aisles. The Bosch fridge is the latest innovation to be put to the test by households in the town of Swadlincote as part of Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s said: “Our customers tell us that despite best intentions, they often find it difficult to remember what is in their fridge which can lead to them over-buying. With 4.2million tonnes of food wasted each year in the UK we’re on a mission to help households plan their shopping better and reduce the amount of food they throw away. With our focus on finding innovative solutions we have teamed up with Bosch to trial their unique camera fridge which will give shoppers an instant view of the contents of their fridge whilst shopping – triggering a reminder to prevent buying more than they need.”

Charlotte Moran, Group Marketing Manager for Bosch said: “The Bosch fridge is very versatile when it comes to assisting with our hectic daily lives, and with the latest camera technology it can help save on overbuying – which is why we’ve partnered with Sainsbury’s on its Waste less, Save more initiative. Not only does the fridge take pictures which link up with our Home Connect app, you can also control the temperature of the fridge and freezer remotely. Our VitaFresh technology will also enable you to keep food up to three times longer. Little things like stacking your fridge properly can be a huge benefit!”

Organising the fridge can also help shoppers to remember what they have at home. Findings revealed that over 40% of people go as far as separating their meat and veg to help them avoid overbuying, but only 9% arrange items by their ‘use-by date’ to ensure that foods going off soon are at the front.

To help shoppers, Sainsbury’s has developed an infographic, which includes handy hacks to help prevent overbuying, as well as advice on where to store different products in the fridge. Tips include:

  • Appoint a fridge boss
  • Organise items by sell by date, put products due to go off sooner at the front
  • Take a snap of the interior of your fridge on your phone to consult when you’re shopping
  • Keep a note pad and pen on the fridge and note down items as they run out
  • If you make a hot drink in the morning, write a post-it note on the kettle that reminds you to check the fridge
  • Set a recurring alarm on your phone to remind you to check the fridge and make a list to help you remember the required items
  • Store essential items such as milk in regular spots in the fridge so it’s easy to recognise when they are finished

Interestingly the report by For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295. also revealed that women are responsible for filling the fridge in most households, except for Northern Ireland where men take charge. While women tend to overbuy fruit and eggs, it’s milk and condiments for men.

The Bosch technology being put to the test by households in Swadlincote as part of Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative. The retailer is investing £1m in making Swadlincote the official test-bed of ideas to dramatically cut food waste by 50% over 12 months.

For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295.

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Research: Quarter of UK households waste £235 worth of food every year due to buying products they already have in the fridge

Research: Quarter of UK households waste £235 worth of food every year due to buying products they already have in the fridge

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Sainsbury’s unveils the first ever Culinary Companionship Code to help Britons reduce food wastage

LONDON, 2016-Apr-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Shoppers could save over £100 a year just by turning their hand to matchmaking…for fruit and veg. Finding the perfect pal for parsnips or a life partner for plums could mean the difference between throwing out fresh fruit and veg and extending its life, according to Sainsbury’s.

Certain fruit and veg produce gases during ripening that can reduce the shelf-life of neighbours in the fruit bowl or veggie drawer. This leads to them spoiling quicker and often ending up in the bin.

The average UK family household wastes £700 per year* in food that could be eaten, but ends up being thrown out instead. Fresh fruit and vegetables contribute a significant amount with 20% of what is bought being wasted, amounting to £2.6 billion.

The first ever Culinary Companionship Code is part of the Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more campaign, helping Britons reduce food wastage. Compiled by Product Technologists, the infographic guides shoppers through a list of ‘perfect pears’ for example, berries and grapes are firm-fridge-friends, while pineapples and lemons are best together, at room temperature.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said: “Our guide gives new meaning to the word ‘Frenemies’, highlighting certain fruits, which just don’t get along!  Apples and watermelons are long-term enemies while bananas don’t play well with others and should be kept on their own. On the other hand, there are some more sociable fruits! Cherries are immune to the negative effects of the ethylene produced by others and can therefore be paired with a variety of partners!”

VEGEMATES
Name Perfect Match Shared Values
Berries Grapes Both need to be refrigerated immediately to prevent decay.
Onion Garlic Both like cool and dark places.
Cucumber Peppers Both need to be kept away from fruit as they are spoiled by ethylene. Keep in the fridge.
Apples Cherries Cherries aren’t affected by high levels of ethylene produced by apples. Store in the fridge.
Kiwi Avocado Both like to be on the counter top until ripe and then refrigerated to preserve.
Tomatoes Plums Storing in the fridge and bringing to room temperature before eating ensures best flavour.
Nectarines/
peaches		 Pears Storing these fruits at room temperature results in them sweetening. Premature refrigeration causes loss of flavour.
Carrots Beetroot/ parsnips All like to be refrigerated.
Cauliflower Broccoli Both like to be stored in the fridge and away from ethylene producing produce.
Sweetcorn Peas Both like to be kept refrigerated but will lose sweetness after a couple of weeks.
Potato Sweet potato Keep in a cool, dark and dry place away from fruit which produce high levels of ethylene as this will result in early sprouting.
FRENEMIES
Name Sworn Enemy The Beef…
Apples Watermelons Apples and watermelons both love to be in the fridge.  However, apples produce high levels of ethylene which turn the watermelons mushy.
Onions Potatoes Onions produce a low small amount of ethylene – so while they won’t have a major impact on them in terms of spoiling, potatoes are prone to being tainted with the onion flavour if stored together.
Banana ALL Keep away from others! Bananas will result in most fruit or veg ripening quickly and spoiling.

The Culinary Companionship Code is available on www.wastelesssavemore.sainsburys.co.ukalongside other tips to help waste less food and save more.

Helen White, Head of Love Food Hate Waste, says: “Storing food correctly to make the most of its shelf life at home is key to reducing the 4.2 million tonnes of good food that goes to waste from UK households every year. Families could make substantial savings each year simply by throwing away less food. Making what might seem like small changes to how you store food can make a big difference, for example keeping fruit in the fridge instead of the fruit bowl can help it to last longer.”

Paul Crewe adds: “Waste, and in particular food waste, is one of the most important issues facing us all today and we’re committed to making a radical difference across UK households and supporting our customers to waste less and save more.”

TOP TIPS FOR WASTING LESS & SAVING MORE FROM EXPERTS AT SAINSBURY’S:

  1. Are your bananas on the turn? Why not bake them into banana bread? Or, for a quick solution, try mashing them down and adding yoghurt for a light pudding.
  2. If your spuds are starting to look a little sorry for themselves, turn them into delicious vegetable rosti cakes
  3. Over-ripe tomatoes may feel like they are ready for the bin, but in fact they are usually bursting with flavour. Add them into your spag-bol for a pasta dish that’s full of pizazz.
  4. Leftover leeks? Rather than waste them, whizz up a classic leek and pea soup!
  5. Sweet potatoes spoiling? Simply turn them into wedges for a healthy accompaniment to your evening meal.
  6. Combine aging cucumbers with Greek yogurt, a dash of lemon and some garlic and you have yourself a tasty dip.

More on Sainsbury’s efforts to reduce food wastage in the UK:

The Guide to Culinary Companionship is the latest from Sainsbury’s Waste Less, Save More initiative, following an investment of £1m in making Swadlincote, Derbyshire, an official test-bed of ideas and innovation to dramatically cut food waste by 50%.

Following a successful bid by the small market town against 188 other UK towns, the supermarket will be helping with a number of innovations that are designed to help the locals save £350 per household over the coming year.

The findings from the year-long trial will be used to create a blueprint for communities across the UK, so others can follow in the footsteps of Swadlincote.

Notes to editors

*Figures sourced from Wrap 2012 http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/hhfdw-2012-main.pdf.pdf

 

For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295.

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Sainsbury’s unveils the first ever Culinary Companionship Code to help Britons reduce food wastage

Sainsbury’s unveils the first ever Culinary Companionship Code to help Britons reduce food wastage

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Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative to tackle food waste

LONDON, 2016-Apr-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Representatives from towns and communities across the UK gathered in Derby to pledge to cut their food waste as part of Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative. The event brought over 35 towns together for the first time to spur on their shared objective to tackle food waste in their area while saving money.

  • UK communities rally together for the first time as part of Waste less, Save more
  • Over 35 towns from 22 counties pledge to reduce their food waste at Derby event as part of Sainsbury’s £10 million investment to cut food waste
  • Key speakers include leading waste experts from OLIO, Hubbub and FoodCycle to inspire hundreds to waste less food and save each household £350 a year

Covering 22 counties, attendees included representatives from Brighton and Cambridge through to Oldham and Durham. The event was part of Sainsbury’s five year Waste less, Save more plan to help households across the country significantly reduce their food waste. The passion from these communities scattered across the UK shows the united desire to cut food waste which on average costs each household £700 a year.

The event was the first step on our journey to empower towns up and down the country to reduce food waste, on the day they heard from some of the leading experts in waste, got their hands on the latest technology such as a ‘smarter’ bin and fridge and tasted products made from surplus food. The interactive displays gave attendees insight into the small changes that could be done at home.

Speaking at the event, Sainsbury’s Head of Sustainability, Paul Crewe was joined by leaders from the most creative businesses in the fight against food waste, including Clare Skelton from FoodCycle, a charity who source and prepare surplus food to feed those affected by food poverty; Michael Barsties from food-sharing app OLIO; and Trewin Restorick from Hubbub, a social enterprise focusing on sustainability.

Paul Crewe, Sainsbury’s Head of Sustainability, said: “This event is the first step in galvanising nationwide support to drastically cut down the amount of food we throw away.  I was impressed to hear what communities up and down the country are already doing and I hope these towns feel empowered to do a lot more.”

Jackie Young from Plymouth said: “Running a green campaign can often be very lonely, the challenge is huge and progress is often slow. This event was a heartening reminder that we aren’t alone in our quest to reduce food waste and that communities across the UK are determined to make real change. I’m looking forward to working with others in the South West to help our residents cut down on their waste for the betterment of their finances as well as the environment.”

Clare Skelton from FoodCycle spoke at the event and added: “We can all be guilty of throwing away good food, however it only takes a little bit of creativity to save it going in the bin.  For example, we are often using stale bread to make croutons to serve with soups and salads, or make it into bread and butter pudding. Fruit that is old or bruised is perfect to make a delicious smoothie or compote.”

Waste less, Save more started with Sainsbury’s nationwide search for one community to lead the charge on reducing household food waste.  Swadlincote in South Derbyshire beat off 188 other applications including today’s attendees to pioneer the project and receive £1 million investment over 12 months to trial some of the latest ideas and technology in reducing waste.

As a result of the trial, the retailer is aiming to cut household food waste by 50% within 12 months, which means a saving of £350 a year for every household in Swadlincote.

Since the initiative began in January, residents of Swadlincote have trialled fridge thermometers, leftovers label stickers, the food sharing app Olio, smarter kitchen appliances as well as an education programme for school children. £300,000 has just been awarded as part of the investment to fund local projects such as ‘food saver champions’, bin stickers and a ‘community fridge’ which will be the first in the UK. As part of Sainsbury’s five year plan the best ideas will be used as a blueprint for towns across the UK.

For all the latest news and food tips visit www.sainsburys.co.uk/waste and follow #WasteLessSaveMore

For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295.

Source: J. Sainsbury plc

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Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative to tackle food waste

Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative to tackle food waste

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Sainsbury’s launches nationwide recycling service for Easter egg packaging

LONDON, 2016-Mar-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — UK set to throw away up to 3,000 tonnes of Easter egg packaging

Today, Sainsbury’s is appealing to customers to get #EggyAboutEggcess, as the supermarket launches its nationwide recycling service for Easter egg packaging.

The service aims to ensure all elements of chocolate egg packaging are recycled, including rigid plastic that kerbside collectors don’t always accept as part of their service. Recycling bins will be placed in 400 stores around the country from Monday.

With waste experts WRAP estimating that 3,000 tonnes of packaging excess is produced each year, and with 80 million eggs sold in the UK annually – the next fortnight is crucial in the recycling calendar.

To encourage shoppers to recycle, Sainsbury’s is launching an online campaign appealing to the public to get #EggyAboutEggcess.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability and Energy at Sainsbury’s said: “From creating an Easter bonnet to building a fort made of boxes, we’re asking customers to share pictures of the imaginative ways they use their egg packaging over the weekend, before bringing it to be recycled.”

“We hope that the #EggyAboutEggcess initiative will alert the public to our in store service, a super convenient way to make a difference after all the Easter festivities!”

It’s not the first time Sainsbury’s customers have got behind a recycling campaign. Last Christmas, shoppers helped the supermarket recycle over 89,000 tonnes of Christmas cards which was an increase of over 2,000 tonnes on the previous year.

Sainsbury’s egg recycling bins will be placed in 400 stores around the country from Monday 28th March until the 12th April, making it easy for millions of customers to recycle every last bit of egg packaging.

Top tips from Sainsbury’s on how to get creative with Easter egg packaging: 

1. Make an Easter bonnet with a bit of creativity and a lot of glue! See some creative suggestions here

2. For an extra bit of entertainment for the kids, separate all the packaging, hand over some Sellotape and get them to make a fort to play in!

3. Create masks using pictures of characters on the front of packaging.

4. Get kids to make spring garlands for upcoming parties with a bit of string and some imagination.

5. Make a dolls house using a box for each room – don’t forget to keep the foil from eggs

For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295.

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Sainsbury’s launches nationwide recycling service for Easter egg packaging

Sainsbury’s launches nationwide recycling service for Easter egg packaging

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Sainsbury’s awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

LONDON, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sainsbury’s has been identified as a UK leader for the quality and transparency of climate change related information it has disclosed to investors and the global marketplace through CDP, the international not-for-profit that drives sustainable economies.

Sainsbury’s is one of only 37 companies awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), released today in the United Kingdom edition of CDP’s annual global climate change report. Sainsbury’s is also the only UK retailer on the CDLI to achieve a coveted Band A rating. The news comes three weeks ahead of COP21, the UN climate change conference, when national leaders meet to agree a global deal to reduce carbon emissions and limit temperature warming.

  • The only retailer on the CDLI FTSE 350 to achieve a Band A rating
  • One of only eight UK companies on the Climate A list, and the only UK retailer*

Sainsbury’s scored the top grade of 100%** on the index by disclosing high quality carbon emissions and energy data through CDP’s climate change program.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability, Energy and Engineering at Sainsbury’s said:“Sainsbury’s takes energy and carbon reduction extremely seriously and we have set ourselves stretching targets beyond 2020 through our Sustainability Plan. We are all delighted and proud that Sainsbury’s has been recognised by CDP for the efforts we have made in carbon reduction by being awarded the highest possible global score and gaining a place on the Climate A List.”

Paul Dickinson, executive chairman and co-founder of CDP says: “As the world looks beyond the Paris climate change negotiations and prepares for a low carbon future, reliable information about how companies are responding to the transition will be ever more valuable. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on CDP’s Climate Disclosure Leadership Index.”

Notes to Editors:

*The Climate A list denotes those companies around the world that have been identified as leading in their efforts and actions to combat climate change in the past CDP reporting year. Of the companies that participated in CDP’s climate change program this year, those on the A list are among only 5% that were awarded an A grade for their performance.

**The reported data has been independently assessed against CDP’s scoring methodology and marked out of 100. Those organizations graded within the top 10% constitute the CDLI.

At the request of 822 investors who represent US$95 trillion in assets, thousands of companies submit e disclosures to CDP. Top scores indicate a high level of transparency in the disclosure of climate change-related information, providing investors with a level of comfort to assess corporate accountability and preparedness for changing market demands and emissions regulation.

SOURCE:  J Sainsbury plc

 

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Sainsbury’s awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

Sainsbury’s awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

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Sainsbury’s study: British families bin more than 4.2million tonnes of food every with nutrient rich foods amongst the biggest binned foods

LONDON, 2015-6-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — British families are binning more than 4.2million tonnes of food every year – meaning masses of vital nutrients are going to waste rather than helping to improve the health of the nation.

  • British family diets could benefit from over 60 tonnes of additional vitamins and minerals annually by reducing food waste1
  • Nutrient rich potatoes, bread and milk amongst the biggest binned foods
  • Protein, found in milk, eggs and poultry is the most wasted food component

Annual food waste reports regularly reveal the quantity of food that is discarded each year, and the financial impact of this – most recently reported as £700 a year per family.2 However, new research today uncovers a further cost of this food waste – the 60 tonnes of vital vitamins and minerals that are binned annually.

British family diets could benefit from over 60 tonnes of additional vitamins and minerals annually by reducing food wasteClick to Tweet

A new study by Sainsbury’s – to launch its waste campaign ‘…to the rescue’ – shows potatoes, bread and milk are among the UK’s most wasted foods with 1.65million tonnes being binned every year from these three foods alone; the equivalent weight of 130,000 double decker buses. Annually, 733,000 tonnes of potatoes are chucked equating to enough potassium to feed the population of Blackpool their recommended daily allowance for an entire week.

Protein, the most wasted food component is chucked away in its millions with 55 tonnes thrown in the bin every year. Commonly found in fruit and vegetables, fibre, is among the top binned nutrients with carrots being one of the most thrown away fibre providers. Every 80g portion of discarded carrots equates to 2.6g of fibre. Some 353 million litres of milk also goes down the drain annually, losing essential calcium, crucial for bone growth and child development.

Sainsbury’s wants to help customers to make small changes to their routine to make a big difference to their food waste footprint. As part of the ‘…to the rescue’ campaign, recipes and handy tips, such as storing potatoes in the cupboard rather than the fridge, have been created to help people reduce their food waste.

Annie Denny, Sainsbury’s nutritionist, comments: “We’re all guilty of throwing away lots of key nutrients that help our bones grow, fight against illness and maintain organ function – all vital to keeping us healthy. By making the most of our food, we can all go a long way to ensuring we’re not just saving money but also taking on board enough of those key nutrients to do their jobs.”

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, comments: “Throwing away food is often associated with wasting money, but our research published today as part of our ‘…to the rescue’ campaign shows there is also a wider health issue. Our easy tips and recipes have been created to assist with both reducing food waste and benefiting the health of UK families. None of Sainsbury’s food waste goes to landfill and any surplus food fit for human consumption is donated to charities.”3

Three handy tips to help reduce food waste:

To find out more about the ‘…to the rescue’ campaign visit www.homemadebyyou.co.uk and if you’re in need of some food-spiration visit Sainsbury’s food rescue app www.sainsburysfoodrescue.co.uk for more details.

Notes to Editors 

1The research was conducted by examining 20 of the most wasted food and drink items in Britain and establishing their nutritional benefits, using the official WRAP report June 2014 and Sainsbury’s internal research.

2Official WRAP data from Household food and drink waste report June 2014

3We’re very proud of the fact that Sainsbury’s is the only major UK supermarket to have a nationwide programme to take all leftover food from stores to charities around the UK. Food that can’t be sold in stores but is still fit to eat is given to Fareshare, and all surplus food from stores is either given to a local charity that can make use of it, such as FoodCycle which prepares fresh three course meals for communities, or turned into animal feed.

4This top tip is courtesy of the team at WRAP

Most discarded vitamins and nutrients (annually):

  1. Protein (55 million grams) – Found in meat and key to building and repairing tissue
  2. Fibre (8million grams) – Found in apples and key for the digestive system
  3. Potassium (3million grams)- Found in melon and key for working the heart, kidneys and other organs
  4. Calcium (1million grams)- Found in milk and key for building bones and teeth
  5. Phosphorus (600,000 grams)- Found in bread and key for helping the body create energy

Five of the top discarded foods and their nutritional benefits (by weight, annually):

  1. Potatoes (733,000 tonnes)- High in potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6
  2. Standard bread (473,000 tonnes)- High in calcium, phosphorous and iron
  3. Milk (360,000 tonnes)- High in potassium, protein and calcium
  4. Poultry (132,000 tonnes)- High in protein, fibre and Vitamin B6
  5. Fruit Juices and Smoothies (121,000 tonnes)

 

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Sainsbury’s study: British families bin more than 4.2million tonnes of food every with nutrient rich foods amongst the biggest binned foods

Sainsbury’s study: British families bin more than 4.2million tonnes of food every with nutrient rich foods amongst the biggest binned foods

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Students at Kensington and Chelsea Millinery College helped Sainsbury’s to launch its Easter egg packaging recycling scheme

LONDON, 2015-4-4 — /EPR Retail News/ — Students at Kensington and Chelsea Millinery College have helped Sainsbury’s to launch its Easter egg packaging recycling scheme with a new twist on the traditional Easter bonnet parade.

  • Kensington & Chelsea students create Easter bonnet – entirely from recycled Easter egg packaging
  • Sainsbury’s is providing special recycling points for Easter egg cardboard and plastic in 400 stores nationwide this year

The school – famous for developing millinery talent – have built an Easter bonnet entirely from recycled Easter egg packaging materials.

Sainsbury’s is the first supermarket to offer a dedicated Easter egg packaging in its stores – rolling it out to 400 supermarkets ahead of the Easter bank holiday weekend.

The recycling facility will allow shoppers to recycle their Easter egg packaging including plastic, film and card and will be available from 3rd to 14th April in 400 Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s said: “We’re eggcited to bring back our Easter recycling scheme with this fantastic Easter bonnet parade.

At Sainsbury’s we’re constantly thinking of new ways to help customers waste less – and once the chocolate eggs are eaten over the bank holiday, it’s never been easier to recycle their packaging.”

Katie McIntyre, Performance Manager, Fashion and Millinery at Kensington and Chelsea College said: “It was with great pleasure that the students from the world renowned HNC Millinery course at Kensington and Chelsea College took a break from producing their beautiful individual collections to work together to support Sainsbury’s Easter egg packaging recycling.

“Students from this programme progress from the college to work with some of the most important milliners (both in England and abroad), prestigious M.A. courses or self-employment.

“Creativity and imagination is at the heart of the hats we produce at the college and working with a variety of interesting materials broadens the students’ horizons. It was very exciting to apply traditional and innovative millinery techniques to unusual products and fantastic that the student’s hard work was ultimately rewarded with a generous supply of Sainsbury’s chocolate.”

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Students at Kensington and Chelsea Millinery College helped Sainsbury’s to launch its Easter egg packaging recycling scheme

Students at Kensington and Chelsea Millinery College helped Sainsbury’s to launch its Easter egg packaging recycling scheme

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Sainsbury’s celebrates 20 years of the food donation network Fareshare it founded with homelessness charity Crisis

Sainsbury’s is celebrating 20 years of Fareshare – the food donation network it founded with homelessness charity Crisis – with a brand new summit that sees fresh fruit and veg donated directly by the UK’s major food producers.

LONDON, 2014-12-8 — /EPR Retail News/ — The summit – launching officially on Monday 8th December – was created last year with heavyweight fruit and vegetable suppliers including Mack and Thanet Earth, which form part of the Fresca Group, the UK’s largest independent fresh produce supplier.

As a result, over a million meals of fresh fruit and vegetables have been donated directly from the field by supermarket’s fruit and vegetable producers so far.

It’s made Sainsbury’s the first retailer in the UK to get suppliers working with food charities direct.

Mark Varney, Director of Food for Fareshare said: “Sainsbury’s has shown strong leadership in its own operation through its food donations – so we’re delighted that they’re encouraging suppliers to do the same.

“Through the summit, our charity partners have received an extra 495 tonnes of fruit and vegetables – nutrition they so desperately require to offer balanced meals to people who really need them.”

Fresca Fresh Produce Operations Director Tim Espley said: “By the very nature of our products there will always be a certain amount we can’t pack for a retailer but which is still perfectly edible. Instead of sending it for composting or animal feed, we prefer to work with Fareshare where we can.

“It has involved us changing practices in our packing factories and our warehouses but it’s very rewarding to hear feedback from the charitiy on how valued our products are.

“The run up to Christmas is our busiest period but working together with Fareshare we’ll be donating as much as we can to support their work.”

Head of Sustainability Paul Crewe said: “Sainsbury’s has pioneered retailer food donations for twenty years. But we wanted to do even more.

“By linking in our major suppliers we’ve created an entirely new way to help those who are in need – particularly offering more crucial nutrition through fruit and veg.

“This isn’t about donating a few dented cans – this is a huge process that makes sure that every bit of surplus food that’s fit for human consumption in our supply chain gets to people who need it.”

Notes to editors

About Fareshare
FareShare was co-founded by Sainsbury’s and homeless charity Crisis in 1994 and operated as a division of Crisis for 10 years. Fareshare supports 1,711 local charities and community projects across the UK including breakfast and afterschool clubs for vulnerable children, lunch clubs for elderly people living in isolation, homeless hostels, drop in centres for people recovering from addictions and charities helping people with mental health issues, physical disabilities and health related issues. Through its charity members Fareshare are helping to feed over 82,000 people every day, redistributing more than 6,400 tonnes of food a year which helps to provide around 13.2 million meals a year.

Donating fruit and veg

Sainsbury’s has become the first retailer that encouraged its suppliers to work with FareShare and authorised them to divert own branded surplus products to the charity’s network.

Since April 2013 and as a direct result of these introductions to suppliers by Sainsbury’s, FareShare has captured over 495 tonnes of surplus fresh produce from fresh produce suppliers that would otherwise be considered waste. This has been instrumental in providing valuable nutritional products to vulnerable people accessing food at projects supplied by FareShare.

FareShare’s partnership with Sainsbury’s is helping the business to reduce the amount of surplus food and the associated costs involved of returning surplus stock back through the supply chain. In addition, Sainsbury’s works closely with suppliers to encourage the reduction on surplus products appearing, resulting in a more effective and efficient supply chain overall.

Sainsbury’s is a zero waste to landfill retailer and all food fit for human consumption that isn’t sold in stores goes to charity partners. Sainsbury’s also runs ‘ugly fruit and veg‘ campaigns in store to help customers.

Fresca Group’s Thanet Earth

Fresca Group is the UK’s largest independent fresh produce supplier, with Mack and Thanet Earth.

Sainsbury’s were instrumental in linking FareShare with fresh produce supplier Thanet Earth. This has meant that since 2013, FareShare has received good quality fresh surplus tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from Thanet Earth’s greenhouses in Kent.

When spare product becomes available and it’s perfectly good for eating they now offer it to FareShare. FareShare then redistribute it to charities across the UK who transform it into nutritious meals for vulnerable people.

By encouraging Thanet Earth to work with FareShare, Sainsbury’s have unlocked a substantial source of surplus vegetables for people in need in the UK.

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Sainsbury’s celebrates 20 years of the food donation network Fareshare it founded with homelessness charity Crisis

Sainsbury’s celebrates 20 years of the food donation network Fareshare it founded with homelessness charity Crisis

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This Halloween Sainsbury’s launches Pumpkin recycling to help get customers composting

LONDON, 2014-10-29— /EPR Retail News/ — As Halloween approaches, Sainsbury’s launches a recycling special to help get customers composting. Sainsbury’s expects to sell just over one million pumpkins this week, as the spooky day looms. But once they’re carved, pumpkins are often thrown away – even though they are easily recycled.

This year, all pumpkins sold in Sainsbury’s will display information about how customers can recycle them locally through Recycle Now once the Halloween celebrations are over.

From Wednesday 29 October, customers in ten trial stores will also be able to bring their pumpkins back to store to be turned into energy by Sainsbury’s waste partners Biffa.

The collected pumpkins will join other food waste from Sainsbury’s in anaerobic digestion, being converted into energy which in some cases powers Sainsbury’s stores.

The scheme will not only help customers compost their pumpkins at ten locations, but also attract attention to council collections to get more customers across the country composting at home.

Sainsbury’s Head of Sustainability, Paul Crewe, said: “We know that lots of people will be buying a pumpkin this Halloween – but what happens after we’ve carved it?

“There’s nothing more gruesome than a pumpkin past its best – so we want to make sure that once the spooky festivities are over we’re helping customers to get rid of their pumpkins in the right way.”

Sainsbury’s unsold pumpkins are already donated or sent to zoos.

The scheme is the latest in a series of recycling ideas generated by Sainsbury’s colleagues – including Easter egg recycling and Christmas card recycling.

Notes to Editors

Information on how to recycle pumpkins – including local authority composting facilities via the Recycle Now website – will be displayed with pumpkins on sale in Sainsbury’s stores.

Pumpkin recycling points are available in the recycling areas of the following stores:

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This Halloween Sainsbury’s launches Pumpkin recycling to help get customers composting

This Halloween Sainsbury’s launches Pumpkin recycling to help get customers composting