A total of 23 major retailers and two trade associations have signed a voluntary agreement to help consumers reduce their waste.
Developed in 2012, the Retailers’ Environmental Action Programme (REAP) means that retailers that have signed up to the agreement must engage in at least two awareness-raising initiatives on waste reduction on a global or national level by June 2014.
Food retailers will focus on food waste, while non-food retailers will focus on their main product ranges such as textiles or electronic waste.
With the waste agreement, retailers intend to further reach out to their customers and involve them in the cultural change needed to address the waste prevention and reduction issues and thereby contribute to paving the way to a resource efficient and sustainable economy.
Major retailers signed up include ASDA, Carrefour, El Corte Ingles, IKEA, Lidl, Marks and Spencer and Tesco.
