Sainsburys & Google Team up to Tackle Food Waste

UK supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s has teamed up with Google to launch its Food Rescue tool which is aimed at reducing food waste by giving people practical help and ideas on how to use up ingredients that can often lay forgotten at the back of the fridge or cupboard. The retailer explained that the tool aims to satisfy a growing appetite in the UK to waste less as budget conscious families continue to rediscover habits such as meal planning and using leftovers. The company noted that data published by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) shows that an estimated 4.2 million tonnes of avoidable food and drink is wasted each year in the UK, leading to the average family losing out on £60 each month. Further to this, new data from Google is said to reveal that searches for recipes using leftovers have surged by 1/3 compared to last year, with 64% of searches done on-the-go via mobile devices. Sainsbury’s said that its Food Rescue tool fuses the latest mobile voice recognition technology with recipe inspiration to offer families practical help and advice whether they are at home or on the move, helping make their food go further. Users can say or input up to nine ingredients and in return they will be presented with recipe inspiration from over 1200 choices. The tool also features a competitive element and uses live technology to record the weight of food rescued and the amount of money saved per completed recipe. This feeds into a leaderboard to show which regions across the UK lead the way when it comes to cutting food waste. Users can also see the most rescued ingredient in their region and the most popular recipes being cooked across the UK. "We know that confidence and know-how can really help people reduce the amount of food they throw away,” explained Sarah Warby, marketing director at Sainsbury’s. "Shopping habits have really changed. Families are savvier than ever, looking for practical help to make the most of the food in their cupboards and fridges. Indy Saha, director of creative strategy at Google added: "Using our voice search technology, the Food Rescue tool allows Sainsbury’s customers to use up the food that they might otherwise throw away. Simply say what ingredients you have left and discover simple inspirational recipes.” Emma Marsh of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign said: "Our research has shown that one of the main reasons that we throw away food from our homes is because we don’t get around to eating it before it’s gone past it’s best." Try see a video about Sainsbury's Food Rescue tool below and try it for yourself HERE. Read More Go-Ahead to Use Heat from SITA Waste to Energy Plant to Grow Tomatoes in Suffolk SITA UK and Sterling Suffolk have been given the go-ahead for a greenhouse project that will utilize heat from the Great Blakenham waste to energy plant to grow tomatoes. Enerkem’s 38m Litre Waste to Biofuel Facility Inaugurated in Alberta, Canada Canadian biofuels firm, Enerkem has officially inaugurated its first full-scale municipal waste to biofuels and chemicals facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Queen’s Speech Confirms Plastic Bag Charge to Cut Waste – Mixed Response from Public Queen today confirmed the UK government’s proposals to reduce the use of plastic bags through the implementation of a levy.