Lincolnshire Co-op has hit a milestone in its mission to reduce waste, avoiding 1.8 million tonnes of food waste in the last year.
The retailer optimised its waste management process by partnering with in-store execution software operators, Retail Insight.
With food waste reduction a key lever in the group reducing its total emissions to ensure it meets its environmental commitments, Lincolnshire Co-op partners with Retail Insight and uses its data-driven waste management solution, WasteInsight.
A newer system, Waste Trim, analyses historical data, sales patterns and expiration dates to highlight and identify products or ranges that are regularly wasted. These insights enable Lincolnshire Co-op to optimise stock assortment, minimise overstocking on frequently wasted items, meaning less produce is entering the Reduced To Clear process in the first place, and ultimately reducing the volume of wasted food generated.
Last year, Lincolnshire Co-op avoided nearly 1.8 million tonnes of food waste, a rise of +6.8% compared to 2023, which equated to stopping 1,785 tonnes - the same weight of 149 double decker buses. This saved 4,818 tonnes of CO2e from being emitted, which equates to enough energy to power ~5,726 UK homes for a year.
Head of food operations, Craig Adamson, said: “It’s been great to work alongside Retail Insight to further reduce food waste, and we’re already seeing a remarkable impact. We’re committed to looking after our local environment, and this applies to everything we do; from the way our outlets are designed, to how we source electricity. All of this, combined with our efforts to reduce waste, helps us to work towards our sustainability goals.”
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