Reducing Supply Chain Food Waste
Clauses to redress the balance in the food chain by promoting fairness for the producer while supporting the customer to ensure produce is not wasted at any point throughout the supply chain.
What this clause does
Helps businesses achieve their sustainability goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, through the reduction of food waste. The financial and environmental benefits of properly considering food waste in the supply chain are considerable.
Clauses
[Drafting note: capitalised terms relate to either a defined term in this clause or a defined term in the main agreement that this clause is designed to be inserted into.]
1. Each of the parties agrees to use [all] reasonable endeavours and cooperate in good faith with the other party and its contractors to minimise and reduce, as far as reasonably practicable, the Total Food Waste.
[Drafting note:
The requirements of the clauses are in addition to the mandatory requirements placed on the parties to segregate food waste in accordance with The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025 and equivalent devolved legislation.
It is assumed that parties will follow the UK Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy Statutory Guidance (updated January 2024) to deal with food surplus and waste using the hierarchy’s prioritised list of options, but this can be made an additional requirement if thought necessary.
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)’s UK Food and Drink Pact: Food Waste Reduction Roadmap (Roadmap) is recognised as the key framework for UK food businesses to measure, report and take action to reduce food waste. As such, parties are encouraged to commit to the Roadmap. Commitment to the Roadmap can be made an additional requirement if thought appropriate.]
2. Each party shall:
2.1 so far as reasonably practicable, measure and record the tonnage of any Food Waste related to this Agreement that it generates, describing its extent and stating its cause (if known) and provide the same to the other party each year [and more frequently as the other party may reasonably request, providing that such request is not exercised more than [once per quarter]];
[Drafting note: the requirements of Clause 2.1 should be reviewed against any outcome of the UK Government’s further review of mandatory food waste reporting.]
2.2 keep up-to-date, full and complete written records of the Food Waste reduction activity it undertakes and any associated data (for example tonnage and Percentage Food Loss and Waste reduction) and provide the same to the other party each year [and more frequently as the other party may reasonably request, providing that such request is not exercised more than [once per quarter]];
2.3 attend regular meetings (at least once every [●] months) with the other party’s sustainability manager or other nominated representative to present, consider and discuss their respective plans and current progress towards achieving the Food Waste Reduction Target;
2.4 so far as reasonably practicable, avoid any act or failure to act that may result in unnecessary Food Waste;
2.5 work with the other party to ensure that the Customer’s requirements and orders for the Goods are fulfilled by the Supplier in such as a way as to minimise any Food Waste; [Drafting note: this is drafted only to cover food waste, however users may wish to combine it with other TCLP supply clauses such as Kori’s Clause to include consideration of carbon emissions.]
2.6 ensure that any Rejected Goods will be rejected in a timely manner to allow the Supplier to attempt to avoid the risk of the Goods becoming Food Waste (including by the sale of Goods to a third party and/or redistribution).
3. The parties agree that the Projected Percentage Food Loss and Waste related to this Agreement will be quantified in the Initial Food Waste Report and then (together with the Total Food Waste and Percentage Food Loss and Waste) in the subsequent Annual Food Waste Reports. Each report to address, as appropriate, the headings and sub-headings of WRAP’s food loss and waste data capture sheet as a minimum.
4. The Supplier shall, subject to [reasonable] access to the Customer’s Food Waste data in accordance with clauses [2.1 and 2.2]: [Drafting note: this obligation may be given to the Customer or to both parties jointly. It is possible that either a discount or increase in price may be necessary to cover the additional expense in creating the necessary reports.]
4.1 collate its own data and the Customer’s data on Food Waste, and analyse that data as required to produce the Initial Food Waste Report and the Annual Food Waste Reports;
4.2 provide the Customer with the Initial Food Waste Report within [60 (sixty)] days of the Commencement Date and the Annual Food Waste Reports by the applicable Food Waste Report Date; and
4.3 arrange, at the Customer’s request and cost, for a Food Waste Consultant to undertake an independent assessment and verification of the Initial Food Waste Report and the subsequent Annual Food Waste Reports and make a copy of the results of that assessment and verification available to the Customer as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt.
5. The [Supplier shall] [parties shall work together to] develop and implement a plan of continuous improvement with the objective of reducing Food Waste throughout the term of this Agreement [by [set reduction target] which shall be no less than [●] percent annually in line with WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact: Food Waste Reduction Roadmap]] per Food Waste Reporting Period] OR [by [set reduction target] by the end of this Agreement (the Food Waste Reduction Target).
6. Each party warrants and agrees that:
6.1 all Food Waste data and reports provided to the other party (including, without limitation, the Initial Food Waste Report and the Annual Food Waste Reports) are and will be, to the best of their knowledge and belief, in all material respects complete, accurate and not misleading [; and
6.2 it will not offer preferential terms to third parties who do not require a Food Waste Reduction Target or similar obligations in their contracts.] [Drafting note: do not use the bracketed text at clause [6.2] without first obtaining competition law advice to ensure that this is not at risk of being a restraint of trade.]
7. All information, data and reports shared by the parties pursuant to clauses [1 to 6 above] shall be deemed to be [Confidential Information] for the purposes of this Agreement.
Definitions
Annual Food Waste Report means a written report [in a form acceptable to the Customer acting reasonably] [using WRAP’s food loss and waste data capture sheet] OR [insert other relevant standard format] setting out the Percentage Food Loss and Waste for the immediately preceding Food Waste Reporting Period, and the Food Loss and Waste as a proportion of food handled for the current Food Waste Reporting Period.
Commencement Date means the commencement date of this Agreement.
Confidential Information [as defined in the Agreement].
Customer [as defined in the Agreement].
Food means any substance whether processed, semi-processed, or raw that is intended for human consumption (including drinks) and any substance that has been used in the manufacture, preparation, or treatment of those substances. It does not include products like cosmetics and tobacco, substances used only as drugs, and processing agents used along the supply chain, for example water to clean or cook raw materials in factories or at home. [Drafting note: the definition of ‘Food’ is based on the definition in the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.]
Food Handled means all inputs (for example all raw material and components for a food manufacturer or processor and goods purchased by a retailer).
Food Loss and Waste (FLW) is as defined in the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (or FLW Standard).
Food Waste means: [Drafting note: there is no legal or universally agreed definition of food waste. This should be tailored appropriate to the position of the Agreement in the food supply chain.]
For the purposes of this Agreement the guidance provided in Food Surplus and Waste Measurement and Reporting – UK Guidelines dated September 2020 issued by WRAP shall be adopted. This states that the term ‘Food Waste’ describes any food and inedible parts sent to any of the Food Waste Destinations. This definition excludes any material that is sent for redistribution to people, animal feed or conversion into industrial products (collectively referred to as ‘food surplus’).
The guidelines are enhanced by the following examples:
(a) any Food which is not fit for human consumption;
(b) any Rejected Goods; (which are not subsequently prevented from becoming Food Waste (clause [2.6] refers))
(c) any Inedible Items removed from the supply chain to be disposed of and not eventually directly consumed by people; [Drafting note: while this element of food waste may not be avoidable, it still accounts for the waste ‘footprint’ and associated emissions and therefore needs to be measured.]
(d) any surplus Food thrown away, discarded or sent to any of the Food Waste Destinations by Food wholesalers or retailers including, for example supermarkets and restaurants;
(e) crops grown for human consumption, including those which are spilled, damaged or spoiled [at any time after planting]; and
(f) Food which is spilled, damaged or which spoils in each case during the processes of manufacturing, transportation or storage,
and which either party in each case discards, intends to discard or is required to discard.
[Drafting note: the final element of this definition is taken from the definition of waste in Article 3.1 of the Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste, as implemented by s.75 Environmental Protection Act 1990).]
Food Waste Consultant means an impartial organisation not affiliated with either party providing [the Food Waste equivalent of climate impact assessment and emissions reporting services, of a standard at least equal to the Carbon Disclosure Project or the Carbon Trust].
Food Waste Destinations means the listed food waste destinations, which provide a common definition of Food Waste used by WRAP, Consumer Goods Forum, Institute of Grocery Distribution, Champions 12.3, the European Commission and UK Governments:
- Anaerobic digestion or codigestion
- Composting or aerobic processes
- Incineration or controlled combustion
- Land application
- Landfill
- Not harvested or ploughed in
- Refuse or discards or litter (including dumping, or unmanaged disposal)
- Sewer or wastewater treatment
- Other (including the production of biofuel products such as biodiesel, fuel pellets).
Food Waste Reduction Target has the meaning given to it in clause [5].
Food Waste Report Date means, in relation to a Food Waste Reporting Period, no later than 60 (sixty) days after the end of that Food Waste Reporting Period.
Food Waste Reporting Period means each 12 (twelve) month period commencing on [the commencement date of this Agreement] and on each anniversary of that date. [Drafting note: consider amending to align with specific annual accounts.]
Food Waste Reporting Standard means the [Food Surplus and Waste Measurement and Reporting – UK Guidelines dated September 2020 issued by WRAP] OR [Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard issued by The Food Loss & Waste Protocol (FLW Standard)*] OR [Scope 3 GHG Measurement and Reporting Protocols for Food and Drink dated June 2024 issued by WRAP] OR [insert other relevant reporting standard] as amended or updated from time to time.
* [Drafting note: users of the FLW Standard shall account for the physical amount of FLW, expressed as weight. However, some users may wish to describe and convey the scale and relevance of FLW in other terms or units of measurement, in addition to weight. While doing so is not required by the FLW Standard, Appendix D of the Standard provides an introductory overview to expressing FLW in terms of environmental impact, nutritional content, or financial implications.]
Goods [as defined in the Agreement].
Inedible Items means components associated with a Food that, in a particular supply chain, are not intended to be consumed by humans including bones and pits or stones but excluding packaging. [Drafting note: definition taken from the FLW Standard. Note that what is considered inedible varies among users (for example, chicken feet), changes over time and is influenced by a range of variables including culture, socioeconomic factors, availability, price, technological advances, international trade, and geography, so this definition should be amended accordingly.]
Initial Food Waste Report means a written report [in a form acceptable to the Customer acting reasonably] [using WRAP’s food loss and waste data capture sheet] OR [insert other relevant standard format] setting out the Percentage Food Loss and Waste at the commencement of the Agreement and the Projected Percentage Food Loss and Waste on completion of the Agreement.
Percentage Food Loss and Waste means food waste as a proportion of all as described, alongside an example calculation, in Food Surplus and Waste Measurement and Reporting – UK Guidelines dated September 2020 issued by WRAP.
Projected Percentage Food Loss and Waste means an estimate of the final Percentage Food Loss and Waste at the end of the Agreement.
Quality Standards means [any standards or requirements set out in any Food quality plan and quality management system and any other quality-related outcomes or parameters] which the parties agree must include, in addition to any considerations of [brand, consumer expectations and customer requirements, regulatory and international standards such as ISO, and in third-party certification program requirements] an equal consideration of the nutritional value of the Goods [as per the relevant nutritional rating systems and nutrition facts labels that have been implemented to rank Food in terms of its nutritional value in order to reduce Food Waste].
Rejected Goods means any Goods which are rejected by the Customer on the grounds that they do not meet the relevant Quality Standards or are identified as being excess for the Customer to fulfil its order.
Supplier [as defined in the Agreement].
Total Food Waste means the sum of the Supplier’s actual Food Waste and the Customer’s actual Food Waste arising out of the performance of its obligations under this Agreement in a given Food Waste Reporting Period, calculated in accordance with the Food Waste Reporting Standard.
WRAP means the Waste and Resources Action Programme, a global environmental action non-governmental organisation.
Updates
February 2026
This clause has been updated and now references industry standards and regulations and includes more specific requirements about measuring and recording food waste.