LONDON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 of the biggest players in food industry, including all of Britain's major supermarkets, have signed a pledge to help halve food waste by 2030, it was announced by the government Thursday.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said an estimated 10.2 million tonnes of food and drink worth over 25 billion U.S. dollars is wasted annually in Britain.
"It is estimated that UK households spend 15 billion pounds (19 billion U.S. dollars) every year on food that could have been eaten but ends up being thrown away, equating to 500 pounds a year for the average household," said Defra.
Big-hitters from the world of food and sustainability including Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury's, Starbucks, Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, Unilever, World Wildlife Fund for Nature and Waitrose, have signed the pledge.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "I am delighted to see so many UK food businesses commit to game-changing action to cut food waste. The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but each year millions of tonnes of food is wasted. Together we will end the environmental and economic scandal that is food waste."
Judith Batchelar, a director from supermarket chain Sainsbury's, said: "Food waste is one of the biggest challenges currently facing today's society and an intrinsic part of our combined response to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. It continues to be an urgent and important priority for us to tackle."
