• New campaign to launch on air on 14th October, with an average of 100 spots per week across UKTV's network for a twelve-month period
• WRAP's Love Food Hate Waste brand supports campaign for inaugural year

12 October 2023 - Commercial broadcaster UKTV announces the launch of a new Everyday Sustainability campaign, dedicating £1 million worth of its own airtime across the network's seven linear channels and streaming service, UKTV Play, to encourage viewers to make more sustainable lifestyle choices. To launch the first year of the initiative, UKTV is tackling food waste and working with international climate action NGO WRAP and their campaign brand Love Food Hate Waste.

The British public throws away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste a year, which accounts for 70% of the UK's total food waste annually. Shockingly, 4.5 million tonnes of this household food waste could have been eaten. Not only does this have an environmental impact due to the greenhouse gases created from the production of the food and the resources used to grow this food, it also has a massive financial impact, which is all the more important during the current cost of living crisis. The average UK family of four wastes about £730 worth of food a year, or approximately £60 a month.

To address this issue, UKTV consulted WRAP, a climate action NGO established in the UK in 2000, and now working in 40+ countries around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future. WRAP runs the Love Food Hate Waste national brand which delivers campaigns aimed at radically reducing the amount of food which is wasted in UK homes.

Sarah Goldman, Director of Advertising, UKTV said,

Sustainability is one of the core pillars of UKTV's strategy, and the Everyday Sustainability campaign has been designed to harness the power of our network to inform and inspire viewers. The statistics about food waste are alarming, so I am delighted that we are working with the experts at Love Food Hate Waste to nudge people into more sustainable behaviours.

Catherine David, Director for Business Collaboration and Change at WRAP said:

It is a pleasure to be working with UKTV to highlight the huge issue of household food waste, and what we can all do to make more sustainable choices in our everyday lives. We are delighted that Love Food Hate Waste tips will reaching UKTV's huge audience.

The campaign will launch on October 14th with an average of 100 spots per week across UKTV's network for a twelve-month period. The campaign creative consists of a 40 second promo spot, and a 20 second cut-down version, and is being produced in house by UKTV Creative in collaboration with the Love Food Hate Waste team.

The campaign spot asks viewers to think twice about their food waste habits in a comedic and engaging way, with anthropomorphised food items watching one of their "wasted" friends get into embarrassing scrapes, reminding viewers that no food should be wasted.

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Scott Russell, Creative Director, UKTV said,

Our viewers know there's climate emergency but don't have clear direction on what they can do to help. This quirky campaign brings food waste to the fore in a memorable and playful way and asks viewers to only buy what they need.

UKTV's sustainability strategy is split into three areas; Our Viewers, Our Partners and Ourselves. As part of the Viewers strand, the Everyday Sustainability campaign compliments the wide array of sustainability initiatives that UKTV runs on and off screen, including its work with planet placement.

UKTV is aligned with the BBC and BBC Studios on committing to reach the BBC Group Net Zero strategy based on science. In November 2021, as part of COP26, UKTV along with 11 other broadcasters and streamers signed up to the Climate Content Pledge. Since April 2020 it has been mandatory for all UKTV Commissions to be certified as sustainable via the Albert toolkit, and UKTV productions have been carbon neutral since that date as well. UKTV is also committed to ensuring its working practices, supply chain and workplace have as low a carbon footprint as possible.

For more information please contact:
Rebecca Ferris - Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

UKTV Twitter: www.twitter.com/UKTV

UKTV Corporate Website: www.corporate.uktv.co.uk

About Love Food Hate Waste

Love Food Hate Waste aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste and help the UK public act. It shows that by doing some easy practical everyday things in the home we can all waste less food, which will ultimately benefit the environment, and our pockets too. Love Food Hate Waste is managed by WRAP.