As food operators face an uncertain start to the year, Nestlé Professional celebrates and inspires sustainability superstars from across the industry in its new report: Empowering Sustainability Heroes. Proving that everyone in the business can make a difference, there’s expert advice for every business role and function as well as frameworks, tools and easy-to-action tips. All are aimed at galvanising the industry during challenging times with the goal of making 2022 as sustainable as possible.

Developed in collaboration with Footprint Intelligence, the wide-ranging guide to sustainability is packed with inspiring stories that cut across business roles and seniority: from chef to front of house, CEO to procurement. Detailing how businesses large and small from across the industry are reducing their carbon impact, it gives employees inspiration and ideas on driving forward similar initiatives in their workplace.

To drive action, sustainability experts at Footprint Intelligence have consolidated targeted industry insight, statistics and strategic frameworks for procurement, marketing, HR, health and safety, IT, facilities management and catering teams. In addition, there are details of valuable accreditations, tools and organisations for each business area – all devised to help organisations reduce their carbon impact.

Katya Simmons, managing director Nestlé Professional UK&I says: 

“Food now accounts for 15% of humanity’s daily carbon impact and we need to cut this by at least one fifth in order to meet the UK’s reduction targets for 2030.[1] The hospitality industry plays a key role when it comes to carbon impact, serving the 1 in 6 meals eaten outside the home[2]. A concerted effort is absolutely vital if we’re to achieve these targets.”

“We realise we’re all in this together, so we designed this report to inspire and inform every business function and job level. In fact, the one job title we didn’t include was sustainability manager, because it’s important for everyone to champion this role, regardless of where they work in the business.”

“Embedding sustainability across the business isn’t just good for the environment. As stories in Empowering Sustainability Heroes show, there’s a raft of other benefits. If food waste costs the average foodservice outlet £10K a year[3], imagine the cost-savings your business could achieve if every member of staff put their brainpower into finding sustainable solutions.

What’s more, with tools now available, helping businesses to easily repurpose leftovers and divert uneaten food to people who need it – it’s great for staff morale and workforce development too. In fact, there’s a myriad of reasons to be sustainable: from brand loyalty to supply chain resilience. We’ve provided guidance on achieving each in the report.

We realise that times are hard and sustainability may be slipping off the radar for many food operators. But there’s all the more reason to dig in and re-evaluate systems during periods of adversity. This is where the breakthroughs happen. We’re looking forward to hearing about these and the successes that they bring – for businesses and for our wider industry over the coming year.”

To view and download the Empowering Sustainability Heroes report, food operators can go to https://bit.ly/33wYKyF

To watch the virtual launch of Empowering Sustainability Heroes and panel discussion go to https://youtu.be/mu5f8OuJa_E

[1] https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-03/Food_in_a_warming_world_report.PDF

[2] https://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/healthycatering/

[3] https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/true-cost-waste-hospitality-and-food-service