2022’s global food waste innovators revealed

150 retail food waste experts watched pitches from 9 food waste pioneers to identify:

• The most innovative solution to reduce food waste in retail
• The most impactful solution to reduce global food waste in retail
• The most exciting technology to reduce global food waste in retail  

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Earlier this year, the ECR Food Waste Innovation Challenge identified more than 100 of the most promising global innovations to prevent, re-use or reduce food waste.

A panel of 30 grocery retail businesses from across the globe then shortlisted the global ‘Top 30’.

And from that top 30, nine were invited to pitch their innovations to more than 150 retail food waste experts. Among them 60 different retailer brands were represented from USA, Europe and Australia, along with investors, producers, academics, industry associations and independent retail food waste experts.

As well as identifying potential partnerships at the event, the food waste experts rated each pitch. Based on those scores, ECR Retail Loss can today announce that:

• The 2022 ECR Retail Loss Award for the most innovative solution to reducing food waste in retail goes to Contronics
• The 20222 ECR Retail Loss Award for the most impactful solution in reducing food waste in retail goes to Whywaste
• The 2022 ECR Retail Loss Award for the most exciting technology to reduce food waste in retail goes to The Aggressive Good (TAG)

The ECR Food Waste Innovation Challenge is managed by the ECR Retail Loss Group and implemented by Co:cubed.

“We’re proud to be able to provide a platform for this excellent collaboration opportunity,” says Colin Peacock, Group Strategic Coordinator at the ECR Retail Loss Group.

“Retailers are constantly seeking to find new ways to prevent food waste. This brings together retailers and innovators from around the world.

“Today we throw away one-third of all the food we produce. The world simply can’t afford to continue this way. So, the retail industry is uniting to find breakthrough solutions. 

“Retailers have made big commitments to reduce food waste. The Global Food Waste Innovation Challenge honours the outstanding ideas that will help them deliver”. 

“Food Waste continues to be one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the Retail Industry today, and startups are pioneering solutions”, explains Jeremy Basset, CEO of Co:cubed. 

“At Co:cubed, we monitor +12 million startups. We’re excited to partner with ECR Retail Loss Group to raise the profile of 30 of the world’s leading innovators in the food waste space. 

“We’re excited to see the game-changing partnerships which will come from this programme”, explains Jeremy Basset, CEO of Co:cubed.

Rogier Klein Sprokkelhorst, Sales & Marketing Director at Contronics Engineering said, “ECR and Co:cubed provided a great and unique platform that enables us to connect directly with high-level contacts at food retail organisations. This will enable faster innovation in food retail and for us all to be more effective in fighting food waste”.

Jennifer Look-Hong, CEO/Founder of The Aggressive Good (TAG) said, “It’s collaborations such as these that give us the ability to forge long-term partnerships so we can reach massive numbers in sustainability goals, making a truly impactful difference.”

Martin Grådal, Co-founder and CTO of Whywaste said, “We are honoured and grateful to have been selected as having the most impactful food waste solution by such a prominent group of retailers and experts, and want to take the opportunity to thank ECR and Co:cubed for a great program.

“For us as a foodtech company, ECR creates a unique arena for interacting with both leading retailers and industry experts in a collaborative and constructive way, allowing us both to develop and learn but also to share our thoughts and learnings.”  

About Contronics
Contronics are the producers of Dry Misting, an innovative technology that spreads tiny drops of water in the air creating a thin layer of mist, resulting in retained freshness, colour and nutrients within food produce as well as extending the shelf life

About Whywaste
Whywaste has developed a software solution that improves in-store processes for grocery retailers. This creation is called Semafor – an advanced data-management solution which helps shop workers accurately record and manage sell-by dates.

About The Aggressive Good (TAG)
TAG provides a fully integrated bulk management system that optimises the food supply chain whilst providing a safe and sanitary way for consumers to shop bulk and shop on a budget.