Bidvest Foodservice plates up sustainability to industry

18 November 2015 by Lisa Jenkins

A group of foodservice companies have announced a new sustainability initiative, which aims to revolutionise how the industry shares green knowledge, guidelines and best practice.

plate2planet is the new ‘green alliance' between seven UK foodservice businesses: Unilever, Premier Foods, Délifrance UK, Vegware, Planet First and Jacobs Douwe Egberts, led by Bidvest Foodservice.

Tom Hunt, author of The Natural Cook and chef-patron of Poco, a restaurant that recycles and composts 95-100% of its waste, is supporting the new campaign and commented: "As sustainability moves from being a marketing fad to becoming a core business objective it is important that it starts to be seen as a common goal.

"That means the entire food industry must work together, if we are to achieve real change. In bringing together so many brands under a single initiative, plate2planet has the real potential to act as a catalyst to driving understanding and engagement across the entire sector. It will be very interesting to watch where plate2planet takes us."

The group members are pooling their resources to offer operators across all channels the opportunity to share ideas, inspiration, and expertise via a ‘one-stop-shop' digital platform.

The forum will provide access to useful and practical information for those looking for help and solutions including how-to guides, case studies, guidance on regulations and educational supply chain stories.

Shirley Duncalf, head of sustainability at Bidvest Foodservice, said: "Our customers, and those of our plate2planet partners, care deeply about sustainability and operators across the industry are taking measures to tackle the challenges.

"Caterers are looking to drive successful green initiatives that truly add value to their own community, customers and their bottom line but many of them tell us they do not have the resources to research trends, find new suppliers or dissect complicated reports and government documents. As a result, sustainable change is inching forward rather than propelling."

"We have listened to these concerns and responded to the need for better access. As a collective we have a wealth of knowledge that is unparalleled. Our aim, in sharing these resources in a single space, is to support the entire industry to make small but effective changes which can ultimately have a huge impact on a global scale, and on profit margins. Our message is that by working together we can truly enact positive change."

To find out more go to www.plate2planet.com