Spain's AECOC (Association of Larger Consumer Companies), has announced it will host its 10th conference highlighting efforts to reduce food waste on 29 September in Madrid.
The event will take place during the fifth annual 'Desperdicio Alimentario' week, which runs from September 26 to October 1.
On the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (29 September), AECOC will honour the first 100 companies involved in its 'La Alimentación No Tiene Desperdicio' (Food isn't to be missed) project.
Chains like Grupo Mas or Dinosol are set to participate, the association said, as well as market leader Mercadona.
'La Alimentación No Tiene Desperdicio'
The project was created in 2012 by AECOC to establish, in every stage of the value chain, 'prevention and efficiency practices to reduce food waste, maximisation of excess product exploitation and awareness-raising'.
'Every year 7.7 million tonnes of food are thrown away in Spain', AECOC said.
This initiative seeks to involve larger companies, organisations and associations, logistics and transport operators, public institutions and restaurant businesses.
Highlighted Initiatives
According to the organisation, more than 700 companies are currently involved in the project, and the event seeks to recognise their efforts to achieve food waste reduction.
Some initiatives that will be showcased include a project from Fundación Vasca Para La Seguridad Alimentaria (ELIKA), which seeks to measure food waste in every stage of the chain, and offers a strategy based on the 4R principles, 'reduction, reutilisation, redistribution and revaluation'.
Furthermore, La Unión, a fruit and vegetable company, has developed the project Biovege to create plastics and biodegradable mesh from its own waste, while the Feedback project by Mercabarna and Oreka works to redistribute excess food products to those in need.
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