Search results ( 1-2 from 2 )

17 December 2013  

UK government publishes report on waste reduction

On December 11 2013, the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) published the report ‘Prevention is better than cure: The role of waste prevention in moving to a more resource efficient economy’. As the title suggests, the report advocates a circular economy that follows the principles of ‘Repair, Reuse, Rethink and Reduce’ to mitigate waste production.

The report sets out the Waste Prevention Programme for England, which promotes collaborative action on waste reduction between different societal domains (governments, industry, civil society, etc.), reconciling economic, ecological and social aspects. The report further outlines the British government’s ambitions to foster waste prevention through subsidies to stimulate collaborative research, support innovation in design and raise awareness of resource efficient business models and supply chain innovations.

It also contains government strategies on how to make procurement processes more sustainable, with a particular emphasis on food. One of the key messages is that authorities are encouraged to involve a wide range of suppliers before the actual procurement and “to use outcome based tender requirements”. This will allow suppliers to design the procurement process in such a way that it supports low waste solutions. The government also encourages local authorities to assure that businesses and civil society groups are aware of upcoming tenders at an early stage, thereby allowing for more ecological and innovative bids.

To read the report, click here.
Back

9 December 2013  

Cutting food waste at Eco-innovation Forum

Eco-innovation and its ability to increase resource efficiency and cut waste across the whole food sector was examined in-depth by more than 350 delegates, including government officials, private companies and technology experts at the 15th forum and roundtable on eco-innovation in Hanoi (Vietnam) from 12 to 13 November.

One of the key messages emerging in Hanoi is the need to increase awareness of eco-innovation and resource efficiency opportunities in the food chain. On the supply front, the Forum showcased a few examples of forward-looking businesses that are adopting innovative business models and are actively involving employees in plans to increase resource efficiency. On the demand side more efforts appear necessary to encourage more sustainable consumption patterns.

For more information, click here.
Copyright European Commission
Back To top