The Millennium Stadium has pledged its support to reduce food and package waste at the venue, signing up to a new sector-wide Hospitality and Food Service Agreement

The agreement launched by WRAP on behalf of Welsh Government aims to cut food and associated packaging waste by five per cent by the end of 2015.

The initiative also sets out to increase the overall rate of food and package waste being recycled, set to anaerobic digestion or composted to at least 70 per cent.

At the venue which scooped the British Standard for Sustainable Development before any other UK stadia, the journey is well underway to tackle waste and reduce carbon. 

Stadium Manager Gerry Toms has embraced the voluntary agreement which builds on work already being undertaken across the hospitality and food services sector and delivers on the governments’ commitment.

Mr Toms said: “We’ve taken huge strides at the venue to ensure that we are constantly challenging our sustainable development and I’m pleased to support the WRAP agreement which will encourage our staff and our stakeholders to seek additional ways to reduce the amount of food waste.”

During events such as Wales’ RBS 6 Nations campaign, the stadium typically orders more than 200 kilos of locally-sourced produce to supply 125 hospitality suites while fans across the stadium’s concourses can consume over 180,000 pints of beer.

Facilities Manager Darren Crossman welcomes the WRAP agreement which will work across the sector and accelerate the good practice that is already going on through collaborative working and behaviour change.

He said: “Whatever the event, the stadium has pledged to support the aim of achieving zero waste to landfill by actively encouraging staff, customers and suppliers to waste less food and associated packaging and reuse and recycle more.”

Over 70 leading businesses across the UK have also announced their support which, according to WRAP, is estimated to reduce Carbon emissions by 234,000 tonnes.

John Griffiths, the Welsh Government's Environment Minister, said: “The Welsh hospitality and food service industry has already done a lot to reduce its waste and recycle more, and I want to acknowledge its good work. This UK-wide agreement will help more businesses prevent waste, manage unavoidable waste sustainably and save money, in line with the ambitions set out in our Towards Zero Waste strategy and draft Food Manufacture, Service and Retail sector plan.

“Hospitality, tourism and food service businesses play an important role in our economy, which is why WRAP Cymru and the Welsh Government are working closely with Welsh industry bodies and with businesses, to ensure that the Agreement meets their needs. I would like to wish the Agreement every success and urge businesses across Wales to follow the example of Castell Howell, SA Brain Ltd and the Millennium Stadium in becoming signatories.”