While France destroys 10 million tonnes of food every year, the government has set a target of reducing food waste by 50% by 2025. To achieve this, it launched the national anti-waste label in March 2023 in order to reward the stores most committed to the fight against food waste.
At L’Étang-Salé, Le Super U, accompanied by the French start-up Phenix, officially becomes the first supermarket in Reunion, and overseas, to obtain the precious label. He managed to eradicate food waste, and following a demanding audit carried out by Bureau Veritas, it obtains this label with the highest possible level of certification : three stars and the special mention “exemplary store”. In 2020, the store was the first to sign a partnership with Phenix in Reunion. This eco-responsible and supportive commitment is materialized on a daily basis through actions that save more than 90,000 meals from waste each year.. Thanks to the support of the anti-waste coach, the teams have optimized the entire revaluation chain : from the establishment of an anti-waste zone to donations to food aid associations, through resale via the Phenix application and the recovery of bio-waste for animal feed. This label rewards several years of commitment by the store, proving that it is possible to reduce food waste in mass distribution, even on an island territory.
A national label for mass distribution
According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), a third of global food production is thrown away. In France, this waste accounts for 3% of the carbon footprint, is more than aviation (2 %). At the same time, eight million people face food insecurity in France. The French government has set a target of 50% reduction in food waste by 2025. The launch of this national anti-food waste label for supermarkets, provided for by the AGEC law (anti-waste law for a circular economy) of 2020, must reward good students, that is to say those who go further than the strict application of the law. If it is a success, the government then plans to develop a national anti-waste label for collective catering. In parallel, it is possible to see the label exported to other European countries in the coming years, as was the anti-waste law of 2016, known as the Garot law.
Around thirty supermarkets in Reunion
Phenix, French impact start-up, leader de l'antigaspillage en Europe, develops tech and human solutions so that unsold food and non-food products benefit everyone. Since 2014, it digitalizes food donations via a platform that connects professionals (supermarkets, industrialists and producers) and nearly 1,600 charitable associations. More than 120,000 meals are saved every day. In Reunion since 2020, Phenix supports around thirty supermarkets and manufacturers in the fight against food waste. The Phenix mobile application has already convinced 80,000 Reunion Island citizens to take concrete action by purchasing unsold items from nearly 300 businesses at a reduced price. (supermarkets, new products, organic stores, bakers, delicatessen shops, caterers…). Phenix is ESUS certified (solidarity enterprise of social utility) and B Corp.
