Tackling the problem of food waste
The facts about waste are indeed alarming. At HUL, we're committed to raising awareness about the scale and impact of food waste, empowering informed choices, and envisioning a future with minimal food waste.
Measuring our food loss and waste (1 of 7)
We prioritise accurate data in our food waste reduction program. Following Champions 12.3's Target-Measure-Act approach, we ensure meaningful measurement and management of food waste. Our methodology aligns with the Global Food Loss and Waste Standard, guiding our accounting and reporting on food loss or waste in manufacturing operations.
Halving food waste in our own operations (2 of 7)
We are working towards reducing food waste in our operations, aligning with Champions 12.3 and our Climate Transition Action Plan (PDF 7.98 MB). This commitment not only reduces waste but also lowers GHG emissions. Our goal is for zero food waste to reach landfills and preservation of good food.
We continuously work towards improving the shelf-life of our food products to ensure consumers get more time to consume them. We focus on preventing expired products or ingredients from being wasted. Our efforts include using manufacturing fixes and circular economy approaches, like storing ice cream during equipment downtime. We strive to utilise all raw materials efficiently, especially biological waste, seeking reuse or recycling opportunities.
Initiatives like enhancing line efficiency, optimising cleaning processes, and reusing food waste on-site or externally demonstrate our dedication to waste reduction. We invest in technologies and partnerships for recycling and creating value from unavoidable losses, including biogas fuel, biomass, fertiliser, and composting.
Our ongoing efforts in waste reduction and recycling drive us to explore innovative solutions and maximise value from waste streams.
Helping consumers cut food waste (3 of 7)
Around 60% of food waste occurs in households, highlighting the need for consumer support in changing habits. Leveraging our brands, we aim to help consumers reduce waste through innovative products and ideas. Confusing date labels on packaging contributes to food waste. We collaborate to simplify these labels, ensuring food safety and reducing unnecessary disposal. Harmonised regulations for "use-by" and "best-before" dates based on safety and quality are key goals in this effort.
Championing for a world without food waste (4 of 7)
We believe in the power of partnerships and collaboration as catalysts for change. This includes working closely with suppliers, retailers, peers, and governments to drive meaningful progress. Together, we advocate for food system reform to tackle food waste, and food insecurity, and mitigate climate change.
As a member of the Champions 12.3 10x20x30 initiative, a global coalition of leaders, we're committed to halving food waste. Our collective efforts call for:
- Governments and companies to adopt explicit food loss and waste reduction targets aligned with Sustainable Development Goal target 12.3.
- Harmonised regulations for "use-by" dates based on safety for short-durability foods and "best-before" dates for longer-durability foods based on quality.
Transforming food waste (5 of 7)
Our sustainable food waste management includes converting organic waste into valuable resources. Food waste is transformed into nutritious animal feed, serving both environmental and livestock health goals. Through partnerships with specialised animal feed producers, we divert food waste to create high-quality feedstock, contributing to sustainable animal feed production and reducing food waste simultaneously.
Our partnerships for regenerative agriculture (6 of 7)
HUL is dedicated to enhancing soil health, conserving water, and improving seed varietals for higher farmer yields and incomes. We focus on adopting Regenerative Agricultural Practices, providing training to farmers, and ensuring monitoring and evaluation for positive impacts. Our investments reduce agricultural waste and create efficient post-harvest demand channels, fostering a sustainable ecosystem for farming communities.
Product innovations (7 of 7)
Our R&D efforts aim to minimise food waste by extending shelf life for both closed and open products. We continuously refine recipes and processes to achieve this goal successfully. Examples include increasing the shelf life of Kissan peanut butter, Kissan Squash range, and Best Foods Mayonnaise products.
Additionally, we collaborate with the industry to reduce food waste in Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering (HoReCa) channels. We've conducted workshops with chefs to explore ways to minimise waste in professional kitchens, sponsored by Hellmann’s.
Getting ahead with joint forecasting and replenishment
At HUL, we prioritise accurate volume forecasting to enhance product freshness for consumers. We track forecast bias closely, correcting any under- or over-sales against our forecasts for future improvements. Our dynamic demand planning involves reviewing recent trends, order trajectories and customer holdings to inform production and distribution decisions.
Our Forecast Accuracy has consistently been over 70% with a bias band of +-5% which is a testimony to our focus on providing superior service at minimum cost and maximum freshness.
Additionally, we're advancing towards machine learning-based demand forecasting. The algorithm considers demand signals based on actual customer off-takes and sales losses at the Redistribution stockist level, coupled with external factors like rainfall and temperature. This approach ensures a well-connected supply chain with minimum human intervention, leading to improved service, freshness, and waste reduction across production, distribution, and sourcing processes.
HUL acknowledges the ongoing need for consistent progress in waste management. We recognise the challenges and prioritise driving behaviour change and awareness among people. As a responsible company, we are dedicated to creating a waste-free world and collaborating with partners to address existing gaps across the product life cycle.