• FairPrice Food Waste Index improved by 8.6 percent, from 6.9kg/sqm in 2015 to 6.3kg/sqm in 2016
• Over $290,000 worth of food donated to Food from the Heart in 2016

SINGAPORE, 20 APRIL 2017 – NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) today announced further progress on its food waste reduction and food donation initiatives. The FairPrice Food Waste Index, which measures total food waste over retail space, showed an 8.6 percent improvement, falling from 6.9 kg/sqm in 2015 to 6.3 kg/sqm in 2016; this decrease in the index amounts to over 48,000 kilograms of food. In addition, FairPrice’s partnership with Food from the Heart saw more than $290,000 worth of products donated to charity.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of NTUC FairPrice, said, “Food waste reduction remains a key priority in our commitment towards our sustainability efforts. We are encouraged that the various initiatives we introduced to address this issue have gained traction over a short period of time with strong support from the community and our partners.  As we commemorate Earth Day this weekend, these latest results which show a further reduction of food waste will continue to encourage all of us to persevere in doing our part.”

FairPrice Food Waste Framework

The FairPrice-CSR Food Waste Reduction Framework, which was launched in 2014, comprises three areas – processes, public education and partnerships. To benchmark its progress, FairPrice developed the Food Waste Index, which measures total food waste generated over total retail space. Since the launch of this initiative, the Food Waste Index has dropped by more than 45 per cent from 11.6kg/sqm in 2014 to 6.3kg/sqm in 2016.

For processes, FairPrice launched the “Great Taste Less Waste” selection at all FairPrice Xtra stores in 2015, where fruits and vegetables with slight blemishes and bruises are sliced away, cut into smaller pieces and sold at a marked down price in order to reduce food waste. Whole fruits with slight blemishes were also repackaged into a variety pack at a reduced price. The “Great Taste Less Waste” programme has been expanded to 109 FairPrice supermarkets islandwide.  Fruits and vegetables in particular make up the bulk of food waste, amounting to about 60 per cent of all food waste.

For partnerships, FairPrice established a long-term agreement with Food from the Heart (FFTH) where all FairPrice stores donate unsold but still wholesome canned food products to the community through FFTH on a regular basis. This initiative has helped to further reduce the total amount of food waste while increasing the donation of products to charities. The food donated to FFTH is sent to over 40 charities to aid over 7,000 beneficiaries monthly. FairPrice also supports the organisation’s Clean Plates campaign targeting primary schools to encourage over 10,000 students not to waste food.  The campaign complements the Food Waste Reduction Framework to reduce food waste via public education and partnerships to galvinise greater change in the community and for the environment.  In 2016, NTUC FairPrice Foundation donated $150,000 in support of this initiative. 

In addition, FairPrice also supported Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s 10-Tonne Food Drive for Food Bank Singapore this year, which looks to give to the needy and reduce food waste by providing three collection points for the public to drop off their food donations.  FairPrice’s Warehouse Club also donated unsold but still wholesome food products to support this initiative.

For public education, the initiative sought to shift mindsets on how wholesome fruits and vegetables with blemishes or bruises are still good for consumption, through in-store collaterals and social media. Signs currently at stores that include phrases such as “Ouch! Keep Us in Place”, urge customers to play their part to reduce food waste.

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