Slashing food waste and packaging will be two big priorities for restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes in 2020, the new edition of the Future Shock report from CGA and UKHospitality shows.
In wide-ranging analysis of the sustainability agenda for 2020, it reveals that three quarters of leaders targeted a reduction in food waste as either a major focus (28%) or an area for concern (48%) last year. CGA’s Business Confidence Survey also indicated that two thirds (69%) of leaders were actively trying to reduce food waste through menu engineering.
CGA’s consumer-side data meanwhile highlights the importance to consumers of reducing the use of plastic. More than half (54%) of consumers expect to see environmentally friendly food and drinks packaging as matter of course now, with sizeable numbers expecting reusable cups and eco friendly straws too. With consumer pressure on packaging still rising, and the government expected to set out more plans to force businesses to cut their use of plastic and other waste this year, businesses are likely to be under sharp scrutiny on sustainability throughout 2020.
The sixth issue of the Future Shock series of reports also shows how technology is helping operators to act on cutting food waste. More than a third (38%) of business leaders who are tackling waste they are doing so with the help of smart procurement tools, while one in seven (14%) partners with apps like Too Good to Go to reuse unwanted food elsewhere. AI-powered Winnow bins, which track what’s being discarded in kitchens, are also gaining in popularity, alongside other tech-based solutions like Karma and Mimica.
The sixth edition of Future Shock features many more insights into attitudes towards sustainability from consumers and business leaders, plus case studies of leading operators’ work, commentary about potential forthcoming legislation from UKHospitality and opinions from report partners Britvic and Eversheds Sutherland. To download the full report for free, click here.
