Compass joins forces with WRAP to reduce environmental footprint

Compass Group UK & Ireland has signed up to the Hospitality and Foodservice Agreement, committing to working with WRAP to achieve collective environmental targets for the industry.

This voluntary agreement sets out two clear targets; to reduce food and associated packaging waste by 5% by the end of 2015 and to increase the overall rate of food and packaging waste being recycled, sent to anaerobic digestion or composted, to at least 70% by the end of 2015.

Compass has pledged to work with WRAP and the industry to achieve these targets and is committed to working closely with clients, suppliers, customers and employees to further improve the sustainability of the waste management processes in place.

Commenting on this new voluntary agreement, Ian Sarson, Group Managing Director, Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “As a leading foodservice and support services provider, Compass is continually looking at ways to further reduce its environmental impact and we fully support WRAP’s Hospitality and Foodservice Agreement. We have already made significant achievements across our business to increase recycling rates and reduce waste and we are committed to taking this further, working with our suppliers, clients and customers to meet the agreement’s targets.”  

Sachin Sharma, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Environment, Compass Group UK & Ireland added: “By using the tools we have in place to plan our menus and track and reduce our waste, I believe we will be able to build on the achievements we have already made in this area. The close partnerships we have developed with our waste management service providers will also play a pivotal role in helping us achieve these goals, enabling us to increase recycling rates and increase the amount of waste being sent to anaerobic digestion.

“We have been working closely with WRAP to develop and shape this agreement and I genuinely believe that by joining forces as an industry we can achieve these important targets and reduce our environmental footprint.”

“We are delighted that Compass Group UK and Ireland has signed up to be a signatory to the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement,” said Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP. “One of the big challenges the Hospitality and Food Service sector currently faces, as identified by WRAP’s research, is tackling the vast amount of food and packaging waste it produces and currently disposes of to landfill each year. The joint agreement between WRAP, all four UK governments and industry will tackle this issue, and by working together we can reduce the environmental impact from waste produced by the Hospitality and Food Service sector, whilst reaping the financial benefits.”

Compass’ colleagues working across thousands of client sites will play a pivotal role in helping meet these targets. Through utilising Compass’ innovative new recipe planning and management tool - The Source - teams will be able to ensure they are dishing up the right amounts and types of food, minimising unnecessary waste while continuing to provide a range of great tasting meals that meet the needs of the organisations’ diverse customer base.

In addition, colleagues will be able to track this waste through Trim Trax; a programme Compass put in place in 2009 to effectively monitor and minimise food waste across the business.

To help meet the waste management targets, Compass will continue to work with its specialist waste management service providers to further increase recycling rates, working with clients to put the right systems in place and recommending anaerobic digestion as the optimum solution wherever possible.

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