0:00:03 > 0:00:06We're spending more money than ever before
0:00:06 > 0:00:08to get what we want, when we want it,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12but we're paying a high price for our world of infinite choice.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16How long do you think it takes the whole of Britain
0:00:16 > 0:00:19to throw away seven tonnes of clothes?
0:00:21 > 0:00:26We chuck away over £400,000 worth of clothes every day.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28That looks really nearly new.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33And at a time when millions of people in Britain are struggling to pay their food bills,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36a third of all the food we produce is being wasted.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Last week, I put the spotlight on the horrendous amount of food
0:00:41 > 0:00:43we're chucking at home.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- That's got another two weeks to go. - But it's been opened.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We came out with a bag full of just rubbish.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- Do you know why I'm throwing your food away?- Why?- No.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Cos that's what people do, they throw their food away.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Now it's time to confront our supermarkets
0:00:57 > 0:00:59over their hidden food waste,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01both in their stores...
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Oh, my God! It's absolutely rammed.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05..and on our farms.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09After 30-odd years, it's now coming to an end today.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Who do we need more?
0:01:12 > 0:01:16The people who grow our food or the people who sell it to us?
0:01:16 > 0:01:20I've got a big wodge of cancelled orders. What's happening here?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They can sell their produce anywhere they like.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25If our buying practices are so bad, why are they still selling to us?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27If you tell me where you shop...
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Together, we can change the way we all deal with this problem
0:01:31 > 0:01:33for the better and for ever,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36so please join my war on waste.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45We buy over 40 million tonnes of food every year
0:01:45 > 0:01:51and the vast majority of that comes through just seven supermarkets.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I've been trying to find out just how much
0:01:53 > 0:01:55of that huge mountain of food
0:01:55 > 0:01:57our biggest retailers are throwing away.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But if you look at their websites,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02you'd think they hardly have a waste problem at all.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I'm on Sainsbury's website here.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Now, apparently, Sainsbury's want to be a zero waste company.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Tesco want to be world leaders in eradicating food waste.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And one thing almost all the supermarkets are saying is,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19they do everything they can to avoid wasting any food
0:02:19 > 0:02:21that's still fit for human consumption.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Now I want to find out - is that really true?
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Like most of us, Sam and Catie get their food from a supermarket,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35the only difference is they wait until the tills are shut
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and everyone's gone home.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- Is that a Tesco up there?- That is. - Is this the one we're after?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Yeah, we're going to go and have a look.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45And the food they are after is not on the shelves,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47but in the bins round the back.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The only snag is, it's not entirely legal.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I suddenly feel a little bit nervous.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- It's definitely closed, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Should be, it's ten past midnight.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00They've been skip diving from the backs of supermarkets
0:03:00 > 0:03:02for over seven years
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and they tell me that Britain's biggest retailers
0:03:05 > 0:03:08are secretly chucking away tonnes of perfectly good food.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Oh, my God! Oh, hello!
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It's absolutely rammed.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17That's not what I was expecting at all.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19OK, that's 1st of July milk.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This is natural mineral water. 13th May 2017.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Pork scratching. - Energy tablets. One apple.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- There's beer. There you go.- Mints.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32According to Sam and Catie, you can find hauls like this
0:03:32 > 0:03:35round the back of supermarkets all over Britain.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38They reckon they've fed at least 25,000 people
0:03:38 > 0:03:41in their Bristol cafe, Skipchen,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43all with binned produce like this,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48which supermarkets claim isn't fit for human consumption.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Is this...? Ah, Mr Ambassador, you are spoiling us.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55There is a gold mine of Ferrero Rocher.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57It just keeps coming.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Has anyone ever pursued you for breaking the law?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01For taking food away from their premises?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I would love them to and they haven't.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I sat in the back of a police car for 40 minutes whilst they radioed through
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and I said to the police, "Please try and get them to press charges,"
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and even the police turned round and said to me,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14"They're never going to do it, are they?"
0:04:14 > 0:04:17And I was like, "No, they're not. It would be awful PR for them."
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Having cleaned out Tesco's finest,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22we're heading down the road to see what's on offer at Waitrose.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24What have we got here?
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- Oh, my goodness!- Here we go.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28This is today's date.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33- It is. It's all today. - I mean...- Lovely salads.- Pea shoots.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38You know what, you could just put the whole of this bin
0:04:38 > 0:04:41in the back of your van because it's all good stuff.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Oh, look! Heston from Waitrose. Chicken tikka curry skewers.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Sorry, Heston, they didn't want that today.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Whoa! We've hit the fruit mother load.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- Look at this.- Look at that. That's beautiful. Look at those.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Oh, my goodness! Look at them, and those are not even overripe.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04These bins are just full of bananas.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07You do get a better class of waste at Waitrose, do you not?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09That looks like a pretty good haul to me.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I mean, lots of things you can do with this.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14How does it stand up to what you would usually hope to get?
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- Um, I would say that it's below average.- Below average? Really?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- Yep.- It's quite shocking.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22This food shouldn't actually be here in the first place.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26They don't want people to find out about their dirty little secret.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30This branch of Waitrose has binned hundreds of pounds worth
0:05:30 > 0:05:32of perfectly good food tonight...
0:05:34 > 0:05:37..but that's not something they'll be admitting to their customers.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Here's what it says on the Waitrose website -
0:05:40 > 0:05:42"Surplus food that is fit for consumption
0:05:42 > 0:05:45"is donated to local charities."
0:05:45 > 0:05:49And that's the front-facing message that Waitrose are putting out
0:05:49 > 0:05:51to all their customers about their food waste policy,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and I think it's flawed.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56In fact, I think that it's just basically not true.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Either they are deliberately misleading its customers
0:05:59 > 0:06:02or Waitrose don't know what's happening in their stores.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And now I've got the perfect opportunity to tell them
0:06:05 > 0:06:09what we found, because they've agreed to give me an interview.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Armed with the footage from our skip diving mission,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I'm meeting Quentin Clark - their head of sustainability.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- Hi, Quentin.- Hi, Hugh. How are you? - Very good to see you.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20As you know, I'm looking at the problem of waste,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22particularly food waste
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and particularly how the supermarkets are coping with it
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and contributing to it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29You're a massive store, loads of fresh produce.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Inevitably, you're not going to sell all of it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35What happens to the stuff that's surplus, that's heading for that use-by date?
0:06:35 > 0:06:37If it's left on the shelf,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40first thing we'll do is, we'll reduce it to customers,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42then we'll reduce it and sell it to staff.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45The next stage is, we donate that to organisations
0:06:45 > 0:06:47that are local around our store.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50This is Waitrose in Old Sodbury.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53What have we got here? Oh, my goodness!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Lovely salad.- Pea shoots.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00These bins are just full of bananas.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03You do get a better class of waste at Waitrose, do you not?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's well stated on your website that food that is fit
0:07:06 > 0:07:09for human consumption, we'll find a distribution,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12we'll get it to a charity. That's your policy.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Are those things sort of falling through the net?
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Well, clearly they are.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Um, I mean, but the principle behind all this is,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and I stand by all of that,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24that the commitment is that we don't want any food that is
0:07:24 > 0:07:29fit for human consumption to actually be disposed of, OK?
0:07:29 > 0:07:30If I go to your website right now,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33it will still basically tell me that food that's fit for
0:07:33 > 0:07:35human consumption goes to charities
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and that you've kind of dealt with that problem.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Well, OK. I think it's a fair point, it's a fair call.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44That's not intended to deliberately deceive or anything like that,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46but it needs to be refreshed
0:07:46 > 0:07:51because we don't want food which should be eaten not to be eaten.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Well, let's end on that note because who does?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It's good to hear Waitrose say they could do better,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01but if we're going to demand that our supermarkets stop wasting food,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04we better take a look at our own habits too
0:08:04 > 0:08:08because we chuck away a staggering four million tonnes
0:08:08 > 0:08:10of edible food every year.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12In a nine-week experiment,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15I've challenged the residents of Gardner Road, Prestwich,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18to transform the way they deal with their waste.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Now, I want to make sure that you're not throwing away good food.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Oh, there's almost a whole baguette. Is that a whole baguette?
0:08:25 > 0:08:26With just three weeks to go,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29the Waste Not Prestwich Facebook page is hotting up,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32as residents post their food-saving tips and recipes.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36We're just eating these rather stale crackers, here.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39You put them in the microwave for ten seconds.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- Oh, yeah.- Sounds all right. No, seriously.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Doesn't matter what the date says on an egg,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49it might not have gone off,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52so the way you test is, you get some water...
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and, if it drops to the bottom, it's not gone off. Good egg!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And I've joined in the fun myself.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01There's a moment when your strawberries just start to turn.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05You can actually make them last a good while longer.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09A little shake of sugar, a squeeze of lemon,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13and if I pop them in the fridge, they're good for another couple of days.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But this experiment isn't just about food waste.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I've asked the residents here to stop chucking recyclable glass,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25plastic and cans in the wrong bin.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And that bit of our rubbish revolution isn't going quite so well.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Hey, Michelle. I'm Hugh. - Hi. Nice to meet you.
0:09:36 > 0:09:3925-year-old painter and decorator Michelle
0:09:39 > 0:09:42has the most notorious bins in the neighbourhood.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Apparently they are such a mess that the council has refused to go near them.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Right.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- Looks like there's a bit of food in there, Michelle.- I know.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- That's not meant to go in the recycling.- I know.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59The Spam tin is allowed in, but the Spam isn't.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01That's my little brother, not me.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05That's good, that's good.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I mean, it's quite good recycling, apart from the food.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12This isn't all your waste. Where's your...?
0:10:12 > 0:10:13- Have you got more, then? - In the back.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- Do you want to come and look?- Ah.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Hang on. So what's in there, then?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20You don't want to open it, it's not recycled.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Oh! Oh, my God!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Doesn't smell good, Michelle. How long has that been there?
0:10:25 > 0:10:30- A couple of months.- So they're refusing to take it, basically?- Yeah.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- So how will you get rid of that? - I'll just leave it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Well, it's not just going to go away, Michelle, is it?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Might do, one day.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I think this could be a little unpleasant, but I'm determined to
0:10:42 > 0:10:46help Michelle get back on track with her recycling.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50That's one of the most revolting things I've seen for a long time,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- but your shiny fork... - I don't want it.- Is it yours?
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Plastic bottles in there, general rubbish in there.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Oh, I don't know why you're doing it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05A lot of this is going in the recycling, which is quite satisfying.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06It's half tins of... Bleurgh!
0:11:10 > 0:11:15I think it's very, very ancient cat litter. Really strong ammonia smell.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Let me look. Oh!
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Oh, my God!
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I'm going to be sick.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Of course, it's easy to be rubbish at recycling.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32Walk away.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36But once you get started, it's surely not that hard to put different stuff
0:11:36 > 0:11:37in different bins.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Oh, it smells good now. Look at that.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49What next, Michelle? Where do we go from here?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I don't even know.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- Come on.- We start our recycle - that's where we go.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- Yeah?- Yeah, definitely.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- I'll give it a good go.- Great.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I'll pop back in a few weeks' time
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and I'll be so glad if we don't have to do that again.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11'We went somewhere where people
0:12:11 > 0:12:13'should never have to go with their rubbish.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'Literally one of the worst smells I've ever smelt.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Michelle doesn't want to go there again. I think now, you know,
0:12:20 > 0:12:25compared to that, recycling, it's a piece of cake, isn't it?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28When I first had a snoop in the bins round here,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30the thing that shocked me the most
0:12:30 > 0:12:34was the piles and piles of perfectly decent clothes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And it's a nationwide problem.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43We're binning over £150 million worth of clothes every year
0:12:43 > 0:12:48and they end up either being incinerated or buried in landfill.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I should really give them to charity and stuff like that,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but sometimes I don't really find the time, so I'd say my clothes
0:12:53 > 0:12:55are what I tend to waste a lot.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I would definitely bin underwear, socks, pyjamas and stuff.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- I threw out about three pairs of jeans the other day. - Some holey jeans.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I generally only throw away things
0:13:03 > 0:13:06that are not very good quality or really old.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Clothes are cheaper than they've ever been
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and on average we own four times more garments than we did 30 years ago.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18About every two weeks, I go for a big shop.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22There's no need to buy as much as we buy, but...I like it.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I don't, like, regret spending money. I just think,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28"Oh..." Like, I'm happy now that I've bought myself something.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So, from the moment you walked into...Zara,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33you actually decided you were going to buy something?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36She picked a handful of stuff up. She went for it, didn't you?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- It was on sale.- What about you?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Would you have found it hard not to buy something?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Yeah, cos, like, when you get the money and you don't spend it, like,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46you go home pretty upset,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48thinking, "I've not done...I've not done my job."
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Clearly, a lot of people go clothes shopping these days
0:13:52 > 0:13:57not because they need new clothes, but because it makes them feel good.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00As you might have guessed, I'm a little out of touch
0:14:00 > 0:14:03with the culture of fast fashion.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06With those on, you must be taller than I am.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Yeah, I'm quite tall with them on.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- Becky, do you think Amelia buys too many clothes?- Yeah, I do.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15It tends to be, she buys things and then they don't...
0:14:15 > 0:14:16She doesn't wear them again.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I recently bought this.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20So what's the future for that particular garment?
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I might be able to wear this once at summer.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- Once.- Yeah.- OK. - But stripes might go out.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28They're in now, but next week or two weeks' time...
0:14:28 > 0:14:30might be all over for stripes?
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Yeah. Floral.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'16-year-old Amelia goes clothes shopping with her
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'mates at least once a week, and I sense that's not remotely unusual.'
0:14:38 > 0:14:42How long can a favourite thing stay favourite before it has to
0:14:42 > 0:14:44just be recognised as no longer a thing?
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- Two weeks.- So, that means, if you've had it for two weeks
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- and you've worn it a few times, it's old?- Yeah.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Guess how long this has been one of my favourite pairs of trousers?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- How long?- Oh, about ten years.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Ten years?!
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Who's your fashion idol? Whose fashion style do you most admire?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Zoella.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Hello, everyone! It has been a long time since
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I have done a Primark haul...
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'I must admit that, until now,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14'I hadn't heard of Zoella and other the fashion vloggers
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- 'like Tanya Burr...' - Oh, should I, shouldn't I?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18'..and Patricia Bright.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I don't know, what colour would you call this?
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It's like a burnt orange, burnt orange.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25'..but they are some of the biggest stars in the online world.'
0:15:25 > 0:15:27She's got eight million subscribers.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Eight million?!- Eight million.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- And what do you think is good about her?- You can relate to her.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35She doesn't buy all expensive clothes and everything -
0:15:35 > 0:15:39she buys clothes from high-street shops like Primark.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42This is £5. Bargainous.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45So, basically, she's just going through her shopping and talking about it?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Yeah. A haul is where YouTubers just show you what they've bought.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So, a haul means she's been shopping
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and she's showing you what she's bought.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55# I wish that I could be like the cool kids. #
0:15:55 > 0:15:58There's something very clever about the tone of these vlogs.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00It's like you are talking to your best friend.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02"I've been shopping, look what I bought!
0:16:02 > 0:16:04"And I've got this!
0:16:04 > 0:16:06"Ooh, I think this might look good with my jeans."
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Almost like they're offering to the viewer to try on, almost like saying,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12"You'd look great in that!"
0:16:12 > 0:16:15# I wish that I could be like the cool kids... #
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Vloggers like Zoella are part of a turbo-charged fashion industry
0:16:20 > 0:16:23that seems hellbent on persuading us to buy more than we need.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28And because the clothes are so cheap, we don't think twice about throwing
0:16:28 > 0:16:30them away to make room for more.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I suspect that tackling the nation's addiction to fast fashion
0:16:34 > 0:16:36is probably beyond me,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38but I do want to make us
0:16:38 > 0:16:43think harder about what we do with the clothes we no longer want.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45There's actually seven tonnes of clothes here,
0:16:45 > 0:16:4910,000 separate garments, and I've been given permission to
0:16:49 > 0:16:52bring them here to one of the busiest shopping centres
0:16:52 > 0:16:56in the whole of the UK. Why? Well, because I think it's a good
0:16:56 > 0:17:00idea if people see what seven tonnes of discarded clothes looks like.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09I'm standing on a pile of seven tonnes of clothes,
0:17:09 > 0:17:1310,000 separate garments under my feet.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15But here's a question I have for you.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21How long do you think it takes the whole of Britain to throw away
0:17:21 > 0:17:23this many clothes?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Seven tonnes, 10,000 garments.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31How long do you think it takes Britain
0:17:31 > 0:17:33to throw away that many clothes?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- I'd say about two or three days. - Two or three days?- Yeah.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37I'd say a week.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40You think that's a week's worth of what Britain throws away?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42- Possibly half a day.- Half a day?
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- A couple of hours.- Within a few... A couple of hours?- Yes.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- How long do you think?- Three hours.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- You think a matter of hours. - A few days.- A few days.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- Six hours.- Six hours.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52You're getting close.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The truth is, it takes Britain just ten minutes -
0:17:55 > 0:17:59ten minutes - to throw away seven tonnes of clothes.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Just ten minutes.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- You're lying.- No, no, ten minutes.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- Ten minutes, I'm afraid. - Ten minutes is insane.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08When you can see it visually, it's more...more of a shock, I think.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- I'm absolutely horrified. - Are you?- Yeah.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Now, there is another way.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17As you'll see with all these clothes today, they don't need to be binned,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21they don't need to be thrown away for ever. They're perfectly wearable,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25perfectly usable, somebody somewhere surely would like them.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28So come and have a look and see what you think.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I'm going to take down the barriers now. Come on in.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35What do you think of this big pile?
0:18:35 > 0:18:36- Shocking. - It's pretty shocking, yeah.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Charity shops will take anything and if they don't think they can sell it,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43they'll move it on to someone who can use it in a different way.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47'So there's no excuse to bin any of our old clothes.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Even if you think they've have had their day, they can still end up
0:18:51 > 0:18:54as a recycled mop head or stuffing for a car seat.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56When we throw this stuff away,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59we throw away all the work that's gone into them and all the resources,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02the water, the oil, the energy, the machines, the human labour.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04That all goes in the bin, too.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Chucking away clothes at our current rate is clearly
0:19:10 > 0:19:13an environmental disaster,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17but throwing away a third of all the food we produce...
0:19:17 > 0:19:19well, that's simply immoral.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Yet around 20% of the crops grown in Britain never get eaten
0:19:25 > 0:19:29because our supermarkets don't think we'll buy their produce
0:19:29 > 0:19:31unless it looks absolutely perfect.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Well, there is a very happy-looking carrot. I must be in the right place.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Poskitt's is one of the UK's most successful farms.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48With an annual turnover of over £30 million,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51they supply around 10% of all the carrots eaten in Britain.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- So this is a big artic load just come in?- Yeah.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- How many of those would arrive in a day?- About ten. Ten or 12.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06- Ten or 12 a day?- Yes.- Blimey! - Christmas, week 20.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11That is a staggering amount of carrots!
0:20:11 > 0:20:16- So ten of these is how many tonnes of carrots?- About 290 tonnes today.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18I've never seen so many carrots in my life!
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Can I see where they're ending up?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Yeah, we're going to the pack house now.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28All our supermarkets apply cosmetic standards to their produce -
0:20:28 > 0:20:32guidelines that define exactly what's acceptable.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Guy Poskitt has invested a small fortune in machinery that slices,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39dices and grates the less-than-perfect carrots
0:20:39 > 0:20:42into other product ranges,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46but he's still losing 3,000 tonnes of perfectly edible carrots
0:20:46 > 0:20:48every year to cosmetic standards.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56This is all the waste that's coming out of the pack house today.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59That's just from today? The beginning of the day, this was...
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- That's today's waste.- ..there was nothing here? No!
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Normally, in the winter time, we can sell this for animal feed,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but now the sun's shining and all the cows are out in the fields,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09we'll have to dump it.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's the relentlessness of that conveyor belt, just dropping
0:21:13 > 0:21:18perfectly good carrots onto a pile, knowing that they're now rubbish.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- What's wrong with those?- Nothing. - We've grown that.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24We've worked hard to produce that
0:21:24 > 0:21:25and now we're going to throw it away.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- How do you feel about that?- Immoral.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Yeah.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33It's insane, isn't it?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38If farmers like Guy weren't forced to waste
0:21:38 > 0:21:41so much of the good food they're producing, they could grow
0:21:41 > 0:21:46a bit less with fewer resources and maybe even charge us less, too.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49And, of course, his slightly curvy carrot
0:21:49 > 0:21:52tastes just as good as the straight ones.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54These are what you call minor defects.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56That's got some splitting in it. That's quite misshaped.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Probably, you'd get away with that one, to be honest.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01That's some scab but that'd easily peel off, you know.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05- Couple of strokes with a peeler and it's gone.- That one's too long.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Is that really a problem to somebody?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Why couldn't you just do that and put both halves in the bag?
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Because it'd be classed as broken then, so they're defects.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I know, but they're both fine, aren't they?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The reality is, people will naturally pick out the prettier
0:22:18 > 0:22:21ones first and you'll be left with a tray full of those in the bottom.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25But do you think that supermarkets would never talk to each other
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and say, "Look, there's a lot of food going to waste
0:22:28 > 0:22:32"because we all have these very rigorous cosmetic standards, but if
0:22:32 > 0:22:37"we all decided to relax them a bit, we could stop wasting a lot of food?"
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Is that the kind of conversation you could imagine
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- happening in the world of retailers? - No!
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- You just can't see that happening? - Retailers work very...
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- They're very, very competitive against each other.- And secretive?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Yeah. Quite rightly so. They're big, big, powerful businesses
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and they want to attract the consumers through their door.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Consumers will tell them that they don't really like that
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and they only really like that, you know. It's fact.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02You must not blame the retailers. It's customer-driven, this.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04When you get to the last ten carrots in the tray,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06it'll be 100% of these defects.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Well, maybe I'm peculiar,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11but I actually find it quite reassuring to have a slightly
0:23:11 > 0:23:13curved carrot cos it just reminds me that this
0:23:13 > 0:23:16is a natural product and it grows in the earth.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Guy shares the supermarkets' view that shoppers are reluctant to
0:23:21 > 0:23:24buy less-than-perfect carrots.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28But how can we buy them if they don't put them on the shelves?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31And while Guy's huge farming operation,
0:23:31 > 0:23:32with its diverse products,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36can clearly withstand the cost of cosmetic standards,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39being forced to throw their crops away is driving smaller
0:23:39 > 0:23:41farmers to the brink of despair.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I've been filming with the Hammond family in Norfolk,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50who've been supplying parsnips to Morrisons since the 1980s.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I'm heading back to the Hammonds at Tattersett Farm
0:23:55 > 0:23:57and today is a really tough day for them.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04After 30 years, they're lifting their last crop ever.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05They've had enough.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09They've had no help from Morrisons and they just don't think
0:24:09 > 0:24:12they can make it work any more, and so they're getting out,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15which is just so sad.
0:24:15 > 0:24:1730 years in farming comes to an end today.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Kevin and Debs and their two sons, Olly and SJ,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25are packing their last ever harvest.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Hello, Debs.- Hello, Hugh.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- How are you doing?- Very well, thank you, very well. You?- I'm all right.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36- Hello. Nice to see you again. - Hi, Kev. All right, Olly? SJ?
0:24:38 > 0:24:42How does it feel to be bagging up your last ever crop of parsnips?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- It's a difficult day.- Yeah.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50After 30-odd years supplying the supermarkets, and as this
0:24:50 > 0:24:54third generation working in the job, it's now coming to an end today.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Have you told Morrisons that you're no longer in the business
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- of growing parsnips? - Yes, we have, yeah.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04We've sent emails to people I've dealt with at Morrisons for
0:25:04 > 0:25:07over 20 years and we've never heard anything from them since that day.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Did you feel you had any alternative
0:25:09 > 0:25:11at all, other than closing the business?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14No. No, I don't.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15It's all driven by supermarkets.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18We was going to lose a lot of money if we continued growing,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20there's no question about that.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Why would I want to leave my boys in debt, you know?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24If something happened to me and Deb...
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Debs, what's today like for you?
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Tough.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I don't know what to say, Debs, but...
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I don't know what to say, Hugh, really, but...
0:25:35 > 0:25:36you know, other than we've shown
0:25:36 > 0:25:40so much commitment over the years
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and been loyal, hardworking,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47honest...and actually they don't give a damn.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You know, it's a tough day.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53When I contacted Morrisons after my first visit,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57they seemed very upbeat about the possibility of a filmed
0:25:57 > 0:26:00interview at the farm to talk about waste caused by
0:26:00 > 0:26:01cosmetic standards,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05but Kev was getting a very different message from them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Their head guys said to you that they would like to do something
0:26:08 > 0:26:11but the conversation I had was, "Kevin, you need to bury it."
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Bury what?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15"Bury the TV interview, the camera work, the whole show,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17"because we're not coming.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- "We've said we were but we're not coming."- Yeah.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- I need to be really clear about this because they've got big fat lawyers. - Oh, yes.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26So is that the phrase they actually used?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The actual phrase. "Can you bury this for us? We want it buried."
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Why do you think...?- Because they're not in touch any more.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35They're not in touch. They say on their website that they work
0:26:35 > 0:26:40so closely with their suppliers, etc, etc, but they don't.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43The buyer who buys from us didn't even know where we were on the map.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Didn't even know where Norfolk was,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47didn't even know where East Anglia was.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Morrisons deny they put pressure on the Hammonds and say they
0:26:52 > 0:26:55offered to help but, according to Kevin, their interest came far too late.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59And they're not the only ones having trouble with supermarkets.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04Right now, nearly half of British farms are losing money.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Seems to me it needs a big change of attitude from the supermarkets.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11But the British public have to do their bit too, don't they?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13They have two step up and say, "We get it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16"We get there's a problem and we understand that this is
0:27:16 > 0:27:19"perfectly good produce. And if it's got a little spot over here
0:27:19 > 0:27:23"or a slight bruise over there, that's all right with us.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26"Bring it on, we'll eat it, we'll use it, it's good stuff'."
0:27:26 > 0:27:30These parsnips cost as much to grow as one that's perfectly good.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Why do we just throw it away? It's madness.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Everybody's got to get back to basics.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37We're not going to continue doing this
0:27:37 > 0:27:41and be part of the destruction of English farming.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I'm sorry, Kev, and I hope we can start something with
0:27:47 > 0:27:50the British public that will make a difference...
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Yes, get behind us.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- ..for you and for what you've done for the last 30 years.- Yeah.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Thank you so much for letting us in.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02It's too late for Tattersett Farm,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07but maybe it's not too late to demand that all our supermarkets
0:28:07 > 0:28:12treat their producers fairly, so they have a viable future.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It's all I've ever done.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's all I ever wanted to do when I left school.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I haven't done nothing wrong.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34There's something about the culture of the supermarkets
0:28:34 > 0:28:36and the way they do business with their suppliers
0:28:36 > 0:28:40that seems to me fundamentally wrong.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I mean, in the end, who do we need more,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46the people who grow our food or the people who sell it to us?
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Who matters the most, actually?
0:28:48 > 0:28:53I think it's the people who grow us our food and I think we should stick up for them,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56and if that means going and standing up to the people who sell it
0:28:56 > 0:29:01to us, and challenging the way they do it, well, I'm ready for that now.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05I'm spoiling for a fight now. I'm... I don't know, I'm fuming.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And it looks like I will get a chance to put my case to Morrisons
0:29:10 > 0:29:14because they have, finally, agreed to meet.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Not only that, they want to run a trial
0:29:16 > 0:29:20selling cosmetically impaired produce in one of their stores.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25Their PR chief, Julian Bailey, explains how it's going to work.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28The reason we've chosen courgettes is because they're in season now.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31What we really want to do is to actually test
0:29:31 > 0:29:34whether, given the choice, customers will actually pick up
0:29:34 > 0:29:36the ones that are, if you like,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39the prettier courgettes or the ones that are more oddly shaped.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43What we probably suspect is customers will actually
0:29:43 > 0:29:47reach out more naturally for the prettier-looking vegetable,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50but we don't know that, and I think that we're prepared to
0:29:50 > 0:29:55test it, and see whether, actually, customers really mind that much.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59It looks like a modest sort of trial to me, but it's a start,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02and it means I will get a chance to meet with Julian
0:30:02 > 0:30:05in a few weeks to discuss cosmetic guidelines
0:30:05 > 0:30:10and put the case for struggling farmers. When I do, I want to
0:30:10 > 0:30:14be armed with all the evidence I can muster to make the case for change.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19So I've been talking to Tristram Stuart, who's been investigating
0:30:19 > 0:30:23the hidden world of supermarket waste for over six years.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Every farmer we speak to is
0:30:25 > 0:30:28resentful of the waste that they experience.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30They grow the food throughout the year and then they see it
0:30:30 > 0:30:34rot in their fields. But they can't do anything about it because,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36if they complain against the supermarkets,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38they risk losing their business.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41A supermarket can easily just say,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44"Right, fine, we'll go to another farmer."
0:30:44 > 0:30:46What has to change now?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Cosmetic standards is one, and it's massive.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52The other is last-minute order cancellations.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Farmers routinely tell us that, right at the last minute,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58they get an email or a call saying, "We don't want it after all."
0:30:58 > 0:31:01The entire cost of that waste lands on the farmer.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Olly and Debs at Tattersett Farm, who are growing the parsnips,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09have also had a problem with order cancellations.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10When they said that, I said,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12"Well, I assume you at least get paid for that." No.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16The point is, for a supermarket to routinely cancel orders
0:31:16 > 0:31:19at the last minute is a breach of the law.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24The problem is getting proof that the supermarket caused those
0:31:24 > 0:31:28order cancellations, because most farmers are far too
0:31:28 > 0:31:32scared of the supermarkets to speak out.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36One of the objectives of my organisation is to find that
0:31:36 > 0:31:40smoking gun and getting a good whistle-blower to really blow
0:31:40 > 0:31:44the lid on supermarket practices is exactly what we need.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Although cancelling orders is not a criminal offence,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50supermarkets can be fined millions under civil law
0:31:50 > 0:31:54if they behave unfairly to their suppliers.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56But, so far, no supermarkets have been penalised.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01One of the problems seems to be that farmers just won't come forward.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04While they still have a contract with the supermarket,
0:32:04 > 0:32:05they don't want to stand up
0:32:05 > 0:32:10and challenge that supermarket about the way they're treating them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Well, the Hammonds at Tattersett Farm, after 30 years of business
0:32:14 > 0:32:17with Morrisons, are no longer in business.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20They've got nothing left to lose.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24If Kevin and Debs have evidence that Morrisons changed their orders
0:32:24 > 0:32:27unfairly at short notice, that could be the catalyst that
0:32:27 > 0:32:31transforms how supermarkets do business with their suppliers.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34This would be like the original order.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35- 6.25.- 6.25pm.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38- 440 trays, yep. - That's a lot of parsnips.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Yep, and then the following morning, at 7.40...
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- You've already lifted the crop.- Yeah.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- 440 goes down to 300.- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- That's over 1,000 kilos.- Yes. They have to then be tipped out.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54- They go on that big pile I saw when I first came in.- I'm afraid so, yes.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Every one of these is an example of a cancelled order.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01There's over 100 to our detriment.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05These amended orders represent not only tonnes of parsnips
0:33:05 > 0:33:08wasted on the farm,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11but thousands of pounds worth of lost income for the Hammonds.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15It's like a red rag to a bull. I mean, you know,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I found myself getting worked up throughout the morning,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20and I was glad we came away and you've come down here
0:33:20 > 0:33:24because I don't think I could face going to the office any more.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27But I think the consumer needs to know what's happening to
0:33:27 > 0:33:30family businesses supplying any of the supermarkets.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Well, I think the public would like to know
0:33:32 > 0:33:36and I think Morrisons have certainly got a case to answer.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41'It's just over a week till my showdown with Morrisons
0:33:41 > 0:33:46'and I'm hoping the Hammonds' story will show all the supermarkets
0:33:46 > 0:33:50'the human cost of wasting food on British farms.'
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Dealing with the big corporations has been frustrating.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00But when I speak to people on Gardner Road in Prestwich
0:34:00 > 0:34:03about food waste, they get it straight away.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Even the kids understand we shouldn't be chucking good food in the bin.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Ah, the gang is here. What have you got?
0:34:10 > 0:34:14More bananas, strawberries, brilliant. Grapes.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16We're going to take the fruit that your mums and dads
0:34:16 > 0:34:20were about to throw away, and the yoghurts that are nearly out of date,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and we're going to make them into yummy lollies. Who's up for that?
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Well, it's very polite of you to put your hands up,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29but you are allowed to talk in this kitchen. Who's up for that?
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- ALL:- Me!
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Fantastic. OK, let's get going.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36We are going to do a juicy lolly, so like a really fruity one,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and then we're going to make some creamy lollies.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41- Who wants to tuck into these grapes? - Yeah.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And I can see there are quite a lot of brown ones.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- Are you happy you've got all the good ones?- Yeah.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Let's put these raspberries and blueberries in.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52They're a bit squishy. I want all the juice coming out.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Tired old fruit that's a little bruised or wrinkled is
0:34:57 > 0:34:58perfect for making lollies.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Urgh, it's horrible.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05It's going to be delicious, though. That is some lovely juice.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Pour those yoghurts in. Good job, guys, good job.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Into the freezer with the lollies.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Who's sticking around for the clearing up?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- ALL:- Not me, bye!
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Even the local sceptics
0:35:24 > 0:35:27have been persuaded to bin their rubbish habits.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Plastic bottles, food, tin cans, lots of paper, tea bags.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33They're not lonely, they're all together.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It's easy, one bag, in the bin, done.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And Kelly's been my shining example.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41But just to be sure she's mended her ways,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44I've installed a hidden camera at the cafe where she works.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46What brings you to these neck of the woods?
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I'd like a quick word. May I borrow Kelly for a second, Carol?
0:35:49 > 0:35:51- Of course you can.- Who's that?
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- That's me.- You are at least working.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59- Dancing.- Sorry!
0:35:59 > 0:36:03I'm sure you are. Can't believe you filmed me secretly.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08This is good though... Oh.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12- Paper, did you see it?- I did. - Watch, watch, watch.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17- Food in the food, paper in the paper. - Wait, wait for it.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- How do you know what's coming up? You're that confident.- I've done it.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- You're that confident you've been good?- Yep.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30Drinks tin, emptying it out. Where's it going to go?
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Oh!
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- Nearly.- But I didn't.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40- I'm impressed with myself. - I'm incredibly impressed.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42I need a bigger food bin now.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45I think you do, since all the food is actually going in it.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- Yeah, yeah. - But how hard has it been, really?
0:36:47 > 0:36:49It's not. It's not that hard, to be fair.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54It doesn't even make a difference to your day at all. Done it.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59I'm confident that the Gardner Road gang are well on the way to
0:36:59 > 0:37:02transforming how they deal with their waste.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03And the supermarkets
0:37:03 > 0:37:07seem to be claiming they've got their waste sorted too,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10yet I've been finding perfectly good food in their bins
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and seeing tonnes of their vegetables getting
0:37:13 > 0:37:15wasted on our farms.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17So how can they be claiming one thing on their websites,
0:37:17 > 0:37:21when clearly something else is happening in the real world?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Part of the answer is a process called anaerobic digestion,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28happening at plants like this one outside Birmingham.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34It's one of over 140 similar sites now operating across the country.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38The lorry that came in is going to dump into this pit here?
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Yeah, the door will open, he will back up
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and he will offload straight into the bin.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44And the waste that is already in here,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46that was delivered earlier today?
0:37:46 > 0:37:50- Yeah, it has been arriving since 7am.- Here comes the next lot.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52That looks like a lot of bread and buns.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Yeah, this is one of our typical bakery loads.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58And so that's probably a week's worth of bakery waste?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01- Probably about a day's worth. - Blimey.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06AD is a clever process that converts food into gasses that can
0:38:06 > 0:38:08then be burnt to make electricity.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12That's a lot of bread.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15And because it's recovering energy, it's the right thing to do
0:38:15 > 0:38:17with wasted food that really can't be eaten.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21This is a much bigger truck than the last one, Chris.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Yeah, this is one of our bulk deliveries.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24And where has this come from?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27This has come from a national retailer from a distribution centre.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- Category three material - not for human consumption.- That's right.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34- So when you say a retailer, this is a supermarket.- Correct, yeah.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38'I was only allowed to film here on condition that I didn't say
0:38:38 > 0:38:41'which companies are using this facility.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43'And that seems a bit ironic,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47'when most supermarkets are actually boasting on their websites
0:38:47 > 0:38:51'about using AD. So, what are they trying to hide here?'
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Is all the food unfit for human consumption?
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Not all the food is, no.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00So some of the food that's coming here might just be surplus stock?
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- Or out of date.- Or out of date.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05'So at least some of the surplus food
0:39:05 > 0:39:08'coming here is fit for human consumption
0:39:08 > 0:39:12'and I challenge all the supermarkets to tell us why that's happening.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16'Surely it's madness to feed power stations with food
0:39:16 > 0:39:18'that could still be used to feed people?
0:39:21 > 0:39:24'Fortunately, there are organisations
0:39:24 > 0:39:27'dedicated to intercepting in-date surplus stock
0:39:27 > 0:39:31'that would otherwise end up in AD.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35'Lindsay Boswell is the CEO of a charity called FareShare.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:40I'm looking at boxes of cereal, fizzy drinks, jars of jam,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43all sorts of everyday items, but why have they ended up with you?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Why aren't they in the supermarket?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47So it will be a mix of reasons.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49The biggest crime in the food industry
0:39:49 > 0:39:52is to not be able to meet demand
0:39:52 > 0:39:54and that starts when you and I walk into a supermarket.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57If the shelf is bare, we'll go to their rival.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00You're talking about the entire industry
0:40:00 > 0:40:02really being one of deliberate over-supply
0:40:02 > 0:40:06because under-supply is a crime that they're not prepared to consider.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08'As long as overproduction
0:40:08 > 0:40:11'is the cornerstone of the supermarket business model,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15'there will always be perfectly good food going spare,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18'sometimes for the most ridiculous reasons.'
0:40:19 > 0:40:21This must have a very, very long shelf life.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Why would they have any problem selling this?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Let's get one out. Let's have a look.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Right, do you recognise that branding?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Something about it looks a bit odd. It doesn't look quite right.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32What we've been told is, this is the wrong shade of grey,
0:40:32 > 0:40:37so whether the machinery is getting to the end of its print run
0:40:37 > 0:40:39or somebody's just made a miscalculation.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41That's really bizarre.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46This is one of our big chillers, Hugh,
0:40:46 > 0:40:51and there's some folk in here who are picking and sorting food.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Hi, there. How long have you been in here?
0:40:53 > 0:40:55I've been here for about six months now, but...
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- Not in the fridge?! - No, not in the fridge.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00We've only just come in to start on these orders.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01You're looking chilly already.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03So this is a lot of the meat-type products.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05They've got a lot of hamburgers here, Hugh.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Amazing-looking steaks from Tesco's here, lamb.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- Yeah. They do look good. - Some joints of beef.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Some good-quality meat here.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17'It's brilliant that so much food is being rescued by FareShare,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20'but it's only a tiny fraction of our national surplus -
0:41:20 > 0:41:23'the rest is being secretly destroyed.'
0:41:23 > 0:41:29Do you have any idea how much of the waste problem you're solving
0:41:29 > 0:41:30by distributing that food?
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Yeah, and I'm really pleased you asked.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34This is the shocking bit.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Although we're providing 150,000 meals a week,
0:41:37 > 0:41:42although we saved nearly 2,000 charities £20 million,
0:41:42 > 0:41:48that is only 2% of the surplus, in date, fit for selling,
0:41:48 > 0:41:53fit for retail, fit for consuming food in the UK.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55And our real message to the food industry is,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58we want to go from 2% to 25%.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00So, what do you need to happen to get to your 25%??
0:42:00 > 0:42:03We know the volunteers are there, cos people hate waste.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05We've got the infrastructure.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08What we really need is more food to be able to supply to more charities.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12'To see the difference that projects like this are making,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14'I'm hitching a ride on one of their delivery vans.'
0:42:14 > 0:42:19There's a lot of people that are struggling out there, you know,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23and they rely on this food and they rely on the likes of FareShare.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26We just need it to go bigger and bigger now.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And what has to happen to make that?
0:42:29 > 0:42:33The supermarkets have got to get more food into us.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Let us get it out to the community groups
0:42:35 > 0:42:37and they love it when we deliver it to them.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39"Oh, what have we got today, son?
0:42:39 > 0:42:43"What have we got for tomorrow's dinner? What's for pudding?"
0:42:43 > 0:42:45They really love it.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49This is the daily delivery to The Unity,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51an after-school club in Toxteth, Liverpool,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54where, every evening, 40 or so local kids come by
0:42:54 > 0:42:57to have a free tea cooked by Craig.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59A lot of the kids come in straight from school,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01so they wouldn't have ate from 12 in the afternoon
0:43:01 > 0:43:04and they might not be going home to a home cooked hot meal.
0:43:04 > 0:43:05So, for quite a few of them,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07this is going to be the most nutritious meal they get?
0:43:07 > 0:43:09This is going to be the biggest meal they have,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11so I'm making sure they have something wholesome.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14So you've got the stick blender out. Why is that?
0:43:14 > 0:43:16We're going to try and fool the kids into thinking
0:43:16 > 0:43:18there's not as much vegetables in as there actually is.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Ah, so you blitz it and they can't see the veg,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22and they think it's just a lovely sauce?
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Hey, hungry people!
0:43:29 > 0:43:31'If FareShare could get their hands
0:43:31 > 0:43:34'on just a quarter of all the surplus food in this country,
0:43:34 > 0:43:38'they could provide over a million free meals every day.'
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Did you like the pasta, did you?
0:43:42 > 0:43:46You're having a pasta and sauce sandwich. How's that?
0:43:46 > 0:43:48It's like a party in my mouth.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Like a party in your mouth? Brilliant!
0:43:51 > 0:43:54- So, you all like Craig's food?- Yeah!
0:43:55 > 0:44:00Very gratifying. It's all gone.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02It's been really good to see a positive side
0:44:02 > 0:44:04to the waste story today.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Seeing FareShare actually reducing the amount of food
0:44:07 > 0:44:10that's going to waste by doing something really useful with it,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and then coming here at the end of the day and seeing a bunch of kids
0:44:14 > 0:44:20getting a fantastic meal from food that would otherwise be thrown away,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22well, it makes you realise that all the retailers
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and all their suppliers really have to commit
0:44:25 > 0:44:27to an incredibly important principle,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30which is that food that CAN be eaten by human beings
0:44:30 > 0:44:32SHOULD be eaten by human beings.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39Here goes! "Dear Tesco, I am issuing a challenge
0:44:39 > 0:44:43"to all our major food retailers in the way they deal with their waste.
0:44:43 > 0:44:49"Dear M&S, will you commit to only sending food to AD
0:44:49 > 0:44:51"that is not for human consumption?
0:44:51 > 0:44:52"Dear Morrisons...
0:44:52 > 0:44:56"Dear Waitrose... "Dear Sainsbury's...
0:44:56 > 0:44:57"If a product has your name on it,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00"then I am holding you responsible for its final destination."
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'There's no reason why all our supermarkets
0:45:03 > 0:45:06'couldn't rapidly double the amount they are giving away
0:45:06 > 0:45:10'and I'm going to be on their case to see which of them delivers.'
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Back in Prestwich, it's bin day and not just any bin day.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20It's the one that tells me whether these lovely people
0:45:20 > 0:45:23have really started a rubbish revolution
0:45:23 > 0:45:25over the last nine weeks.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29And there's one bin I'm dying to check up on personally.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33So I'm just round the back of Michelle's house where,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36a few weeks ago, I cleaned out the most disgusting bin
0:45:36 > 0:45:38I've ever seen in my life.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42'The deal was that, because I helped her clean that bin out,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44'she was going to be really good
0:45:44 > 0:45:46'about organising her rubbish and doing her recycling.'
0:45:46 > 0:45:50Hi, Michelle, any chance of a quick word?
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Do you want to come in or...?
0:45:52 > 0:45:54I'd love to come in in a minute,
0:45:54 > 0:45:58but what I'm really interested in is how you're getting on with your bins.
0:45:58 > 0:45:59Have a look.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Oh, come on, that's too good to be true.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04That's the cleanest recycling I've ever seen.
0:46:04 > 0:46:05It's brilliant, ain't it?
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- Have you found it hard? - No, not at all.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11So how nice is it not to have that really filthy, stinky,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14- cat litter, takeaway bin outside? - Brilliant.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Best recycling I've seen for years.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19- Well done.- Thank you. - Nice to see you.- You too.
0:46:19 > 0:46:20- Take care.- See you later.
0:46:20 > 0:46:25- I promise not to snoop any more. - Yeah, please don't!
0:46:25 > 0:46:28'Michelle has given me hope that the whole Gardner Road gang
0:46:28 > 0:46:31'has indeed been waging a war on waste.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34'All will be revealed at the end-of-the-street party
0:46:34 > 0:46:36'I'm throwing this afternoon.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39'I'm catering for a couple of hundred
0:46:39 > 0:46:42'and what they don't know is that all this food
0:46:42 > 0:46:44'would otherwise have been wasted.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48'Sam and Catie spent last night skip diving their way
0:46:48 > 0:46:51'from Bristol to Prestwich...and this is their haul.'
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Sorry about the queue,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01but the food is delicious when you get there.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05'Amelia is here and stripes are still in - just -
0:47:05 > 0:47:10'and Kelly has volunteered to run the cake stall.'
0:47:10 > 0:47:12How is this chocolate and banana cake going down?
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Really, really well.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16- Excellent. Have you tried a bit? - Yeah.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Do you know where the Ferrero Rochers and bananas came from?
0:47:18 > 0:47:21The Ferrero Rochers came from a bin outside the Tesco.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Are you being serious?
0:47:23 > 0:47:25And the bananas came from a bin outside Waitrose.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28- Was it out of date? - The Ferrero Rochers
0:47:28 > 0:47:31- were a couple of weeks out of date. - You've set me up again!
0:47:31 > 0:47:35- It's only chocolate.- Well, it tastes extremely nice. It does.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42- Hey, how's it going?- Really good. - You having fun?- Lots of fun.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45'Our Wastenot lollies are going down well
0:47:45 > 0:47:47'and the party is in full swing,
0:47:47 > 0:47:51'complete with recycled bunting and decorations,
0:47:51 > 0:47:56'and a very active clothes exchange stall, which is great to see!
0:47:57 > 0:48:00'But what everyone, including me, wants to know is,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03'have the residents of Gardner Road
0:48:03 > 0:48:06'managed to radically improve their recycling?
0:48:06 > 0:48:09'Denise and her team at the local refuse centre
0:48:09 > 0:48:12'have just finished sorting through their bins.'
0:48:12 > 0:48:16- Hello again, ladies and gentlemen! - Hello!
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Two months ago, with the local waste collectors,
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I collected many of your bins.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Denise took a good look at your rubbish then and made an assessment
0:48:27 > 0:48:31of just how much of the wrong stuff was ending up in your waste bin.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33We made another collection
0:48:33 > 0:48:37and she's come here with some information that even I do not know,
0:48:37 > 0:48:41so I would like to ask Denise up on the stage to tell us
0:48:41 > 0:48:44a little bit about what she has found out.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46I have to ask you, first of all, did you see a difference?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- Yes. - CHEERING
0:48:49 > 0:48:52That sounds like good news.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56There were hardly any clothes, very, very little paper.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59It was amazing. I have to say I am incredibly impressed.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Well done, Prestwich.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And, in just two months, the Gardner Road neighbourhood
0:49:06 > 0:49:09have nearly doubled the amount of glass, tins
0:49:09 > 0:49:11and plastic they're recycling too.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Is that right? 40%-70%?
0:49:14 > 0:49:16I'd like to think that it would carry on
0:49:16 > 0:49:18- being at that level. - Yeah, it will do.
0:49:18 > 0:49:23That puts them in the top 1% of all recyclers in Europe.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28It's something which has kind of spurred us on, if you like,
0:49:28 > 0:49:29to have less waste.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Are you going to stick with it?
0:49:31 > 0:49:33- ALL:- Yes!
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Thank you, Prestwich!
0:49:36 > 0:49:40'And if they continue to reduce the amount of food they're binning,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43'they'll be saving hundreds of pounds a year.'
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Hopefully I will have saved a little bit with not wasting as much.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52- But I still think you go shopping too much though.- Oh, shut up!
0:49:52 > 0:49:57Here in Prestwich, we've mobilised a small community
0:49:57 > 0:49:58to really care about waste
0:49:58 > 0:50:02and it's not the easiest subject in the world to care about.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04But now, to this group of people,
0:50:04 > 0:50:08it really matters and, of course, it needs to matter to everybody,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11right throughout the UK. So now it's time to ramp it up,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13take it up to another level.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17'So I'm launching the Wastenot website nationwide.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21'It's full of money-saving and waste-saving tips and recipes.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25'I'm hoping our war on waste will spread all over Britain
0:50:25 > 0:50:30'because, if we all make small changes, big things will happen.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39'But if we're really going to reduce food waste in the UK,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42'our supermarkets have got to get on board.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45'And I'm finally getting my chance
0:50:45 > 0:50:48'to talk to one of the biggest - Morrisons.
0:50:50 > 0:50:55'Surely they'll grab this opportunity to boldly lead the way to change
0:50:55 > 0:50:58'by relaxing their cosmetic guidelines?
0:50:58 > 0:51:00'And, of course, I'll be challenging them
0:51:00 > 0:51:05'on all those amended orders they kept pushing on the Hammonds.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:07It's been a long time coming, this interview,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11more than six months, and so I'm quite fired up,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13but, at the same time, I'm a bit conflicted,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17because although I'm really angry about the Hammonds
0:51:17 > 0:51:20and what has happened to their farm, this is also a great opportunity.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22I mean, Morrisons have done a trial,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24which we are going to talk about today,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26of cosmetically graded-out vegetables.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Maybe they could be the first supermarket
0:51:29 > 0:51:31to really do things differently,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34so I don't want to just lose my rag.
0:51:34 > 0:51:35I'm feeling a bit Jekyll and Hyde
0:51:35 > 0:51:38and I'm not sure which way it is going to go.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42'Head of communications Julian Bailey
0:51:42 > 0:51:45'and head of corporate responsibility Steve Butts have assured me
0:51:45 > 0:51:49'that they'll consider expanding the veg trial to other stores
0:51:49 > 0:51:52'if it's proved popular with their customers.'
0:51:55 > 0:51:58So we've been selling class one courgettes
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- alongside class two courgettes.- Yes.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Pound for pound, they're the same price
0:52:03 > 0:52:07and what we found was that the class one courgette
0:52:07 > 0:52:11sold about twice as quickly as the class two courgettes.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15- At the same price.- At the same price. - Not a massive surprise there, is it?
0:52:15 > 0:52:20Cos nobody's saying there's zero difference between the two products.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22But you know what I'm getting straight away?
0:52:22 > 0:52:26Feel that soft end. That's squidgy.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29I would bet all my horticultural money
0:52:29 > 0:52:31that these courgettes are actually older.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34They're not being picked at the same time,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38whereas that is rock hard by comparison.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41I can be absolutely clear that we're taking these at the same time
0:52:41 > 0:52:44and they're coming through our supply chain in the same way.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46It didn't quite look like it was a level playing field.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49The thing is, customers look at a product
0:52:49 > 0:52:52that is scarred or oddly shaped
0:52:52 > 0:52:56and might go, "Actually, I don't want to buy that product."
0:52:56 > 0:52:58The worst thing would be to move the problem
0:52:58 > 0:53:01that you're saying is on the farm into our supermarkets.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Well, it wouldn't be worse for the farmer
0:53:03 > 0:53:06because they'd get paid for their produce.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10Lots of people are saying that's exactly what you should be doing.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12You should be taking responsibility for it
0:53:12 > 0:53:15and make it your problem because you're a supermarket.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17You're very good at selling stuff.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19If it was your problem, I'm sure you'd solve it.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22'What a shame that Morrisons won't look seriously
0:53:22 > 0:53:27'at relaxing the cosmetic standards across all their produce.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29'But surely they can't duck the issue
0:53:29 > 0:53:32'of their repeated overnight order changes at Tattersett Farm?'
0:53:32 > 0:53:366.14pm - 385 packs.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39The next morning - 285.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42It's gone down by 100 packs just because you've changed your mind
0:53:42 > 0:53:44about how much you think you can sell.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47And you've changed your mind overnight, while they were asleep
0:53:47 > 0:53:50or while they were in the field pulling up the crop.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Surely that's not acceptable? Surely that has to change?
0:53:52 > 0:53:56In terms of the specifics of the examples that you've got,
0:53:56 > 0:53:57I don't know the reasons why.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01What I do know is that suppliers like that, family businesses,
0:54:01 > 0:54:04work directly with Morrisons and have done for a long, long time.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06They can sell their produce anywhere they like.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Why are they still working with us?
0:54:08 > 0:54:11If our buying practices are so bad, why are they still selling to us?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I would say that it's because, generally speaking,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18there is a pretty good give and take with suppliers all the time.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21What I feel like I'm hearing
0:54:21 > 0:54:28is a very well-rehearsed explanation of the way that you do business.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32What I am not really hearing is any sense of alarm or anxiety
0:54:32 > 0:54:35about the sheer amount of food that is being wasted.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39I think it's time to acknowledge that you are causing the problem.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41There are lots of people in the supply chain,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44whether it's a farmer or a middleman or a retailer,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46so the picture you are painting...
0:54:46 > 0:54:49It sounds like you are going to share exciting news with me,
0:54:49 > 0:54:50some initiative that you've got.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53No, no. Ultimately, Hugh, at the end of the day,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55if our customers want to buy it
0:54:55 > 0:54:57and we can get the product, then we can sell it.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Would you like to see them say that?
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Would that give you the confidence to do bold things about waste,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05if your customers were asking you to do it?
0:55:05 > 0:55:08I don't want to seem like I'm skirting around the issue.
0:55:08 > 0:55:09It feels a bit like it.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12It's very easy, but there are lots of good examples...
0:55:12 > 0:55:15If you get a very clear message from your customers
0:55:15 > 0:55:17that they are willing to meet you halfway,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20they are ready to be adaptable on the subject of cosmetic standards...
0:55:20 > 0:55:22We are listening to our customers, but the point...
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- Will you respond to that very boldly? - Yes.- Yes.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Yes, the point is, Hugh...
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Fantastic, Steve!
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Julian, you'll be behind that, won't you?
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Of course, we listen to our customers.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Morrisons customers, I really need you to step up at this point
0:55:36 > 0:55:39because if you don't tell these guys to do it, they're not going to do it.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43So, come on! Tell them you don't mind that much about cosmetic standards -
0:55:43 > 0:55:46that you'd like to see farmers and suppliers
0:55:46 > 0:55:48being treated really fairly.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53'No matter how big the organisation, the customer is king.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56'That's you, and if you don't believe you have the power
0:55:56 > 0:55:58'to change billion-pound corporations,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'then just look at what's happened
0:56:01 > 0:56:04'since we started challenging them to waste less.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09'Waitrose are talking to skip divers Sam and Catie
0:56:09 > 0:56:12'about ways to distribute more of their surplus food -
0:56:12 > 0:56:14'this time, legally.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18'Asda, Tesco, Coop and Sainsbury's have all committed
0:56:18 > 0:56:22'to send more food to FareShare and could be on track
0:56:22 > 0:56:25'to meet my challenge of doubling their contribution.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28'And just hours before our first show went on air,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32'Morrisons announced they would send all their surplus food
0:56:32 > 0:56:34'for redistribution through charities.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37'But there's still one massive issue
0:56:37 > 0:56:40'the supermarkets are just not stepping up to,
0:56:40 > 0:56:43'so let's see if we can do something together
0:56:43 > 0:56:49'to persuade them to see sense about those crazy cosmetic standards.'
0:56:49 > 0:56:52"I agree that wasting millions of tonnes of food per year is immoral
0:56:52 > 0:56:55- "and I want my supermarket to put a stop to this."- Without a doubt.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57We want to make sure that gets eaten, not wasted.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58I think that's a good idea.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02'There's a simple pledge on the Wastenot website
0:57:02 > 0:57:05'demanding that supermarkets stop wasting good food.'
0:57:05 > 0:57:08Look at that pile of carrots. They're all rejects.
0:57:08 > 0:57:09Yeah, I don't like waste.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12'The more of us that sign it, the louder our voice.'
0:57:12 > 0:57:15So if you tell me where you shop... Waitrose, Sainsbury's and M&S.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16You're posh, aren't you?
0:57:16 > 0:57:19OK, good, you're addressing it all.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21'And I'll be back in the spring
0:57:21 > 0:57:25'to let you know if our supermarkets really are listening.'
0:57:25 > 0:57:27- Your pledge will make a difference. - I hope so.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30- Together, we can do this.- We will!
0:57:30 > 0:57:35You know what? Nobody's said no yet. It might be just because I'm on fire,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38or it might be because it's a really good idea.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42'Until then, let's show the supermarkets WE mean business
0:57:42 > 0:57:45'in our war on waste.'