Business in Brief - 04/11/21
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ShareTesco Perfectly Imperfect range saves 50m packs of produce from waste
Tesco’s food waste saving initiative, Perfectly Imperfect, has prevented 50 million packs of fruit and vegetables from ending up in landfill since its launch five years ago, the company states.
The scheme was launched by the supermarket in order to offer customers wonky and misshapen, but still perfectly edible, produce at risk of going to waste.
The 50 million packs of groceries translate to 44,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables – of this, the most popular items have been potatoes (12.6k tonnes saved); carrots (10.5k tonnes saved); apples (8.7k tonnes saved); strawberries (8.2k tonnes saved); and parsnips (1.7k tonnes saved).
The range includes 12 different types of produce in total, with the range changing seasonally so that surplus fruit and vegetables are taken and sold when they become available.
Tony McElroy, Head of Food Waste Reduction at Tesco, commented: “People are increasingly thinking about ways they can make a difference, it’s the perfect time to talk about food waste. Selling wonky fruit and veg is one way that Tesco ensures the food we grow ends up feeding people, but taking steps to tackle food waste is something we can all do.
“This can simply mean writing a list and planning meals before going to the shops; storing things correctly; or looking again at misshapen food and eating it with the knowledge that it’s just as good as the conventionally shaped alternative.”
Scottish Rugby secures two-year waste and recycling contract with Biffa
Scottish Rugby has secured a waste and recycling partner in Biffa, with the two-year deal announced earlier last week (27 October) just ahead of The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) being hosted in Glasgow.
The sporting body states that it has sent zero waste to landfill every year since 2011 and are intent on furthering these efforts by encouraging match day attendees to make greater use of the recycling bins located in its BT Murrayfield, DAM Health, and Scotstoun stadiums.
The waste will be segregated at the source, Scottish Rugby claims, before being further segregated once it reaches the Biffa depot where the component parts are to be broken down and recycled.
Beyond increasing its general recycling rates, Scottish Rugby has stated that all green waste, including grass from pitches, is to end up being composted rather than going to landfill.
Kelly Lock, Biffa’s Regional Commercial Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, commented: "We are delighted to be partnering with Scottish Rugby as its official waste and recycling partner.
“Sustainability is at the heart of what we do, helping businesses to increase recycling rates, putting materials back into the circular economy to be used over and over again. As part of the partnership, we are also thrilled that we will be investing into the local community,
with a view to helping to support grassroots sport after a difficult 18 months."
The Access Group announces acquisition of Isys Interactive Systems
The Access Group, provider of business management software to UK, Ireland and Asia Pacific mid-market organisations, has announced the acquisition of Isys Interactive Systems.
The Isys company provides end-to-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services to both the food-and-drink and waste management industries.
The acquisition means that Isys will be able to expand its software, with the partnership ensuring that the company’s programmes are implemented across the Access Workspace platform where it will provide single-sign on and integration to users of the wider Access portfolio.
