Food waste down by 7% per person in the UK
First of all, an apology: we’ve not blogged for a while, because sometimes life just gets in the way. The planning and installation of a new kitchen (hurrah!), the summer holidays and Christmas are just three things that diverted our attention from writing about life in The Other White House.
Good news
However, we’re back! And – for the first time since starting work for WRAP almost five years ago – there’s been some good news on the household food waste front.
The latest estimates indicate a 400,000-tonne reduction in food waste coming from our homes between 2015 and 2018. That’s the equivalent of eight Albert Halls-full.
But, and there’s always a but, there’s more to do …
Because 6.6 million tonnes of food still goes to waste, of which 4.5 million tonnes is good food that could have been eaten (not bones, eggshells or teabags, which I wouldn’t expect anyone to consume).
But, potato skins are a different matter – just eat them, people!
There is nothing good about wasting food. It’s bad for the planet, it’s bad for people and it’s bad for our pockets. Yet reducing food waste at home is one of the simplest things all of us can do to address the current climate emergency. Everyone can play their part.
And the latest figures show that it IS possible to make a difference.
Before anyone asks, supermarkets have the lowest waste rate in the supply chain. As a result, food waste from retail represents less than 1% of the food and drink sold.
On the other hand, households are responsible for 70% with almost one-fifth of what we buy ending up in the bin. This is not absolving the retailers of their responsibilities: just pointing out where most of the food waste in the UK comes from. Us.
Food for thought.
Reducing your food waste is as easy as 1-2-3.
1) Store your food in the right place. Most fresh produce will do better in the fridge – except for bananas, onions, pineapples and potatoes. Keep bananas and pineapples at room temperature; onions cool and dry; and potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place – a shed or a garage will do nicely. Fridge everything else. Visit the A – Z of Food Storage at Love Food Hate Waste for more advice.
2) Keep your fridge at the right temperature. It needs to be at <5C. There’s no point diligently storing all your fresh produce in the fridge if it’s too warm (or too cold). If you don’t know how to set the temperature of your fridge, check out the Chill the Fridge Out tool. Why is fridge temperature important? Your food will stay fresher for longer at <5C. It’s as simple as that.
3) Fall in love with your freezer. Freezing is one of the best ways to buy yourself some extra time. It’s like pressing the pause button on your food. Plus, there are very few things you cannot or would not want to freeze, like er, crackers, which would be crackers. Finally, if you’re not going to use it in time, freeze it and forget about FODOP (Freeze On Day Of Purchase) – you can freeze right up to the Use By date.