At SMG our overarching CSR goal is to help Stop UK hunger. Our charitable work with the Trussell Trust is one way in which we will be contributing towards this goal. Today we are launching our sustainability project which tackles this goal from an environmental standpoint through combating food waste. This project will largely be focussed around education, our behaviours and also aiding in the redistribution of food to food banks.
We understand the importance of sustainability and we want to be making a positive difference as a business. There are many areas in which we can do this, from being mindful of the resources we use through to operational switches, all of which we are working on to ensure we follow good sustainability standards. However, in order to deliver really meaningful change, we wanted to take this a step further and be a voice for a sustainability initiative for which we can really make a difference. Therefore, we are thrilled to announce, on World Earth Day 2021, our new CSR Sustainability project: To help combat food waste.
There are 3 main reasons we have chosen this as our sustainability focus:
1. Our knowledge and contacts in the FMCG industry; we can work with our FMCG and grocery retail clients to deliver on this mission.
2. Helping combat food waste supports our partnership with the Trussell Trust; a charity that relies on food donations.
3. Change in this area has a significant positive impact on the environment and it is something that each of us can do from the comfort of our own homes.
What is food waste?
Food waste is food that we don't eat. In the UK, households waste 6.6. million tonnes of food and 4.5 million tonnes of that is edible food - products that could have been eaten. The rest is inedible, things we can't eat like teabags, eggshells, and bones. The amount of edible food wasted in the UK could fill eight Wembley Stadiums.
Why is this important?
It might not seem like it but throwing food in the bin can affect climate change. The process of getting food on our plates takes a lot of time and resources such as water, energy, and transportation. Transportation of food and rotting food can produce greenhouse gases which are damaging to the environment.
So what does this mean for our partnership with the Trussell Trust?
Our overall mission at SMG is to help stop UK hunger. We want to be clear that the Trussell Trust remains our only charity partner and our efforts will continue to support them in the best ways possible; through volunteering, raising awareness, fundraising, and donating. In fact, our new sustainability efforts will only strengthen the work we do for the Trussell Trust.
We know that the Trussell Trust relies on food donations in order to support its food bank network. We will be working hard to help re-distribute food waste to their network of food banks with the help of FareShare, who plays the role of the facilitator, working with suppliers who generate surplus and donating to those in need. What's better is they already support a number of Trussell Trust foodbanks.
We see these two projects working closely together, aiding each other where possible. Therefore, not only will we be helping the environment, but we will also be adding extra support to our charity partner.