WRAP to fund waste reducing packaging and processing projects

The agency said its latest competitive process is designed to encourage action and innovation within food manufacture, within packaging design, materials use and product format as well as within the retail environment.

WRAP claims the food categories making the most significant contribution to domestic food waste are fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery products, fresh meats and fish and pre-prepared chilled meat and fish products, ready meals, dairy products and dried foods including rice, pasta and cereals.

“Innovation that aims to reduce wastage in these food groups should be prioritized,”​ said the agency.

Project examples ​

WRAP said that food companies can help reduce waste through such measures as the use of:

• Divisible or flexible packaging to aid portioning of food/ingredients by customers such as side-by-side packs, or ‘eat me, freeze me’ packs
• Resealable packaging to protect and maximise shelf-life and quality of food
• Shelf-life extending packaging technologies such as breathable films, oxygen and ethylene scavengers
• Customised, modified atmosphere packs or vacuum-sealed packs where appropriate
• Smart labels that clearly communicate food conditions to customers and improve inventory control such as time and temperature indicators and radio frequency RFID technologies
• Storage information

Production efficiency​

The agency said that an example of innovation in food manufacturing could be an increase in production efficiency and reduction in waste raw materials or products, reductions in product damage or enhanced freezability of the products:​

“Ideally any benefit must at least in part be aimed at the consumer, for example, through extending use-by\best-before periods post-purchase.” ​

The projects submitted must be clearly innovative, new to the UK market, and be able to meet the completion date of 31 July 2010, claims the agency.

“Due to the nature and timescales of the project it is not appropriate for WRAP to consider projects that face significant regulatory hurdles prior to commercialization,”​ it stated.

Funding​

WRAP said it will be able to fund up to 100 per cent of the proposals, so long as the R & D proposed falls within one of the three definitions of research and development used by the European Commission, which are fundamental research, industrial research and experimental development.

The closing date for receipt of applications from food companies and retailers is Thursday, 20 November, and short listed partners will be notified by December 2.

Waste​

Around 18 per cent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions are related to food production and consumption, claims WRAP, and it said that based on current estimates, between 18 and 20 million tonnes of food waste is generated within the UK.

The agency’s research shows that 6.7 million tonnes arise from UK households, the majority of which is disposed of via landfill.

WRAP recently announced that the first target of the Courtauld Commitment, an agreement between it, major food processors and retailers to reduce waste across the supply chain and deliver absolute reductions in packaging by 2010, had been met.

The agency said that it is in discussion with signatories to ensure that plans are in place to deliver the second two objectives, and also to propose a post-2010 agreement.

The WRAP tender document can be downloaded here.