Responding to WRAP’s announcement that the grocery sector has met the Courtauld Commitment target to end packaging growth, Melanie Leech, Food and Drink Federation Director General said:

“It’s great news that the industry has met the Courtauld target to halt packaging growth, and that we are now on track to cut food and packaging waste by 2010. As part of FDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition we have been encouraging our members to make a significant contribution to WRAP’s work on reducing the level of packaging reaching households, as well as seeking to send zero of our own food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015.

“As our joint survey with Defra demonstrates reducing waste is an area that our members are already taking seriously, having prevented over half a million tonnes of food waste being created in 2006 by sending food by-products for uses such as animal feed.

“We are delighted that two more of our member companies have decided to sign up to the Courtauld Commitment – Proctor and Gamble and Weetabix - and are encouraging others to do the same as part of our Environmental Ambition. Together with our member signatories FDF looks forward to continuing to work with WRAP both to deliver the 2010 objective as well as on possible options for moving forward beyond this.”