CHEP works with its customers on more sustainable supply chains, with less waste. By working with food banks CHEP also reduces food waste. An action that is perfectly in line with CHEP's sustainability goals for 2025, with the company striving for regenerative supply chains. In short, CHEP wants to have a positive impact on the planet, on businesses and on society. By doing more good than bad. The cooperation with the Food Banks is part of the positive impact CHEP wants to make on society.
Food waste: 10% of food bought is not eaten
Dutch households wasted an average of 34.3 kg of food per person per year on solid food (including thick liquids and dairy) in 2019. The 34.3 kg of food wasted is 9.5% of the edible food bought by households per person. In Flanders, all Flemish households together throw away 240,925 tons of food annually, or 37 kg per person per year.
But food production and processing also play a major role in food waste. Twenty-six million tonnes of food in Europe are lost every year in that initial phase, which represents 30% of all food waste.
Cooperation between European food banks
Since 2016, CHEP has had a cooperation agreement at European level with the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA). Both have joined forces to fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Europe and reduce food waste and waste. CHEP supports the FEBA through donations, but also in kind by sharing its expertise, providing advice and offering training. Through this collaboration, CHEP aims to ensure an efficient supply chain, as well as contribute to the reduction of food waste and CO2 emissions associated with the destruction of food.