What WRAP’s new global food waste targets mean for your business

As we look ahead to COP30, one message is clear: the climate crisis cannot be tackled without addressing food waste — responsible for up to 10% of global greenhouse emissions.

That’s why WRAP, the environmental non-government organisation, and retail giant Tesco have issued an urgent call to action to governments, retailers, manufacturers, and the wider business community. Their message is bold but grounded in facts — and it carries important implications for businesses of all sizes.

Food waste is no longer just a kitchen or hospitality issue. It’s a global challenge with environmental, economic and social consequences. But it’s also an enormous opportunity for businesses to lead on climate action, boost efficiency, and cut costs.

The Problem: Food waste’s global footprint

According to WRAP, food loss and waste are responsible for 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions — that’s more than the aviation sector!

In the UK alone, nearly one quarter of the food produced in the UK is lost or wasted every year, including over 6.4 million tonnes of perfectly good, edible food worth over £21 billion.

In global terms, this translates into approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted annually — food that required energy, land, water, and labour to produce. The economic cost is an eye-watering £683 billion per year.

Yet despite this, at COP29, only 12 of 195 participating countries included food loss and waste in their climate strategies.

The Response: WRAP & Tesco’s global targets ahead of COP30

In June 2025, WRAP and Tesco issued a joint press release urging global action. Their ambition is to realign political and commercial forces to address food waste at scale ahead of COP30, set to take place in Brazil in November 2025.

They plan to make their ambition a reality through 3 main objectives:

• Recruit 50 leading global retailers and manufacturers to set measurable food waste reduction targets in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 — to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.
• Engage at least 50 new businesses in food waste reduction agreements across the UK, EU, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa.
• Push G20 and national governments to embed food waste reduction targets into their climate pledges, formally including food systems within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This isn’t just about pledges or policies — it’s about taking real action that cascades through supply chains and transforms how we use, manage, and dispose of food.

Why this matters for UK businesses

For UK businesses, these international targets align with the new, simpler recycling regulations put in place (as of April 2025) that require all businesses with 10 or more employees to have a mandatory separate food waste collection.

This means that businesses — from restaurants to retailers, manufacturers to offices — will need to have:

• A separate food waste bin and collection
• Clear internal processes for separating and storing food waste
• An understanding of how much food is being wasted, and why

But this shift isn’t just regulatory. It’s a genuine business opportunity. By managing food waste properly, organisations can:

• Reduce procurement and disposal costs
• Meet ESG targets and improve sustainability reporting
• Strengthen supply chain and customer relationships
• Enhance reputation as a responsible, forward-thinking business

3 ways your business can respond now

1. Start measuring 
   Use waste tracking tools, smart bins, or simply start weighing and logging waste daily. Visibility is the first step to meaningful reduction.
2. Get involved 
   WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact 2030 is open to businesses across all sectors. It helps align your targets with national and global benchmarks.
3. Ensure compliance 
   Ensure you have made steps to be compliant with the new recycling regulations on waste collections. If you’re unsure whether you’re compliant, find out more info here.

Circular economy: Turning waste into a resource

Food waste doesn’t have to go to landfill. With the right collection systems, it can be transformed into biogas through anaerobic digestion, powering homes and transport, or into high-quality soil improvers, supporting farmland and biodiversity.

Bristol Waste for example, powered 2,000 homes in 2024 with biogas produced from food waste recycling.

Final thoughts: Why act now?

The WRAP and Tesco campaign is more than a press release — it’s a global signal that waste must be taken seriously as a climate and business priority.

For businesses, the risks of inaction are growing, from fines for non-compliance to customer loss, reputational damage, and missed efficiency gains. But the benefits of acting now are equally significant.

Get in touch

If your organisation generates food waste — whether in a school, office, café, or factory — the team at Bristol Waste is ready to help. From audit and planning to collection and compliance, we offer solutions that are effective, reliable, and fully aligned with current and future legislation.

Call 0800 061 4321 or email business@bristolwastecompany.co.uk for more information.