Woolworths has pledged to eliminate food waste sent to landfill by 2020 and will begin a new partnership with Australian local food rescue organisation OzHarvest.
Under the new partnership, OzHarvest becomes the principal partner for Woolworths to collect and distribute edible food to people in need across Australia.
Woolworths will engage its network of farmers, producers, manufacturers, employees and customers to help minimise food waste, as well as supporting OzHarvest’s educational campaigns on food waste reduction, such as Think.Eat.Save, an initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program.
The partnership forms part of a larger commitment by Woolworths to eliminate food waste that includes edible food waste being distributed by a number of organisations such as OzHarvest, and other waste used for animal feed, commercial compost and power generation.
“Woolworths is a part of nearly every community and our extended partnership with OzHarvest is a great way for us to help those in need while at the same time reducing waste,” Woolworths Food Group Managing Director Brad Banducci said.
“Our customers want to see us reducing our food waste. We’ll do that right through the supply chain from selling our Odd Bunch imperfect fruit and vegetables to donating food through OzHarvest, our other food-rescue partners, and other initiatives like animal food and commercial composting.
“Our target remains ambitious but with great partners it’s achievable,” he said.