Stores can do better against food waste – The Figaro

According to a report by the environment Agency and Energy management (Ademe), concluding a trial in ten stores, retail still has a margin of maneuver to decrease by 20 to 25% of its food wasted.

of Course, the distribution, yet often criticized, is today one of the good students on the fight against the waste of food products. In fact, with 14% of food loss and waste generated each year in France, she arrives today, far behind the households, the producers, or the industrialists. But, a little over a year after the runaway media created by the declarations of the minister of the Environment Ségolène Royal on the hunt “gaspi” in great areas, the environment Agency and Energy management (Ademe) also shows that the sector can do better.

The public has just unveiled a report on an experiment carried out this year with 10 stores volunteers. During three months, these points of sale have imagined and stepped up their actions in order to limit food losses (breakage, expiry dates outdated, flights…). In cooperation with the Ademe, which has generalized on the year, the gains (in terms of volume and value), these stores of any size and in any region were able to assess the money and the food thus saved.

300,000 tonnes wasted in the least

Conclusion: on average, the stores involved (two Leclerc, two U, two Carrefour, two Auchan and two Intermarché) have reduced their economic losses and food waste, by weight, nearly one-quarter (22%) in three months. Either, reported on the year to 160 tonnes recovered for all stores. Economically, the operation is not insignificant. These points-of-sale driver are each saving an average of € 70,000 per year. Nearly 20% of the 400,000 euros that they lose, on average, annually.

to achieve this result, the actions taken have been varied: the appointment of a responsible antigaspi, decrease of the number of references (1% of them are responsible for 20% of the waste), grouping in a radius of the products .. as close to the expiry date, “portionnage” products, work with manufacturers to extend the use by dates, donations to associations, etc.

In its experiment, Ademe points out that extended to all of the signs these “good practices” will reduce food losses and food waste of approximately 300,000 tons, a saving of € 700 million to the sector over the 4.5 billion euros of losses in annual related to the phenomenon. This encryption mainly depends on the size and effort already provided by the stores. The largest and most frequented, in fact, have a loss rate generally lower than the national average. Just like those with teams stable.

measures are sometimes ineffective

The efforts put in place by these stores are not all conclusive. Transform of the products in the store (make soups or smoothies with fruits and vegetables damaged) is, for example, difficult to implement, because it must dedicate staff, which is not necessarily cost-effective.

The generalization of donations to associations, operation solidarity, if it is, is it too little that is economically efficient; it reduces waste, but produces a loss for the store. The collaboration with associations is often problematic, especially in more remote areas or less densely populated areas.

On the other hand, simple actions such as the coach antigaspi, the decline in the number of sku or grouping of products stickés seem to be widely recognised as beneficial.