Banbury charity says households are wasting £200 worth of food by mid-March
WRAP are encouraging people to plan meals and use leftovers to save money and the planet
A global environmental charity based in Banbury says that by the end of this week, the average UK household of four will have thrown away around £200 worth of edible food this year.
The warning comes during Food Waste Action Week, which encourages people to cut down on the amount of food they throw away.
Figures from Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) show more than 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year. Of that, 4.4 million tonnes is edible food that ends up being thrown away in people’s homes.
Research from WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign suggests many people underestimate how much they waste. Almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) said some food waste at home is unavoidable, while 80% believe they waste less food than the national average.
Will Nicholson said the campaign aims to help people reduce waste at home.
“What Food Waste Action Week is about really is directly trying to reach people at home and giving them the tips and the skills and the ideas and the inspiration to reduce their food waste,” he said.
“For example, meal planning, using up your leftovers, storing things correctly, and with all the inedible bits that are left over at the end, putting those in your food waste caddy.”
Food waste also has a significant environmental impact. Globally, producing and managing food that is never eaten accounts for around 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Will said cutting waste can also make everyday life easier.
“If we're permanently having to nip to the shops and buy a bit of food because we think we've run out, or we've got a bit more food than we thought we would need, the kitchen gets a bit cluttered,” he said.
“It just adds to our busy lives, doesn't it? With bits of meal planning and better ways to use leftovers, it can help people feel a bit more in control as well as saving money and saving time.”
This year’s campaign coincides with new recycling changes in England. From 31 March, most households will have weekly food waste collections as part of the government’s “Simpler Recycling” reforms, allowing food waste to be turned into electricity and biomethane gas.
Will said reducing food waste is something everyone has a role in.
“We've all got a responsibility when it comes to things like food waste,” he added.