Press Release - 16 April 2018
A recent survey of domestic waste showed that 30% of household dustbin waste in Devon is food waste. The local authorities are working with householders to advise and encourage them on how to reduce their food waste using a range of operational and communications initiatives such as the ‘Don’t let Devon go to waste’ campaign. This project will assist in identifying new innovations to help not only householders but manufacturers, retailers and primary producers to reduce their food waste too.
Led by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM) in France, the four-year long ECOWASTE4FOOD project is funded by Interreg Europe. It will visit good practices identified last year by Devon County Council that have the potential to be expanded within Devon or be replicated elsewhere in Europe.
The project gathers local authorities and stakeholders such as businesses and university departments as well as food charities, from across Europe to work together and share ideas. For the upcoming meeting, Devon County Council will welcome delegates from the Waste Agency of Catalonia, Spain; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France; City of Ferrara, Italy; Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia, Greece and Finland’s Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia.
Amongst the initiatives that the European delegation will visit are local companies such as Grocycle, who grow mushrooms on spent coffee grounds and the New Lion Brewery who recently brewed beer from surplus bread, alongside tech solutions to reduce food waste such as the Olio app and the Winnow system used in the catering sector.
Annette Dentith, Devon County Council’s Principal Waste Manager, said: “We are excited to welcome our European colleagues to Devon to develop initiatives to reduce food waste across the supply chain. It will be an excellent opportunity to show case examples of local inventiveness. Together we can find innovative solutions to this significant problem”.
See the programme of the visit: www.interregeurope.eu/ecowaste4food/events/event/1691/6th-cross-visit-on-eco-innovations-vs-food-waste/
Contact: [email protected] - Phone: 01392 383190
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