Food waste
The average family could save £83 per month, around £1000 per year.
There’s a huge opportunity for us to cut what we spend by saving more of the food we buy. We can do this by making sure we eat it in time, knowing how much food to prepare and knowing what we can do with our leftovers.
Wasting food and drink is not just a waste of money. It’s also a waste of the energy and natural resources which went into food production, storage, preparation, packaging and transport of that food
Recycle your food waste in the brown bin
Our free brown bin service will let you recycle food waste alongside your grass, leaves, and flowers. Find out more and register on our Brown bin page.
Love Food Hate Waste
Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) is a national initiative to try to address the issue of food waste. Here are a few of their suggestions:
- Plan ahead. Shopping without a plan or a list means we may be tempted to buy more than we need - in other words, food that could end up in the bin. Check your fridge, freezer and store cupboard and check what you need. Then before you go shopping think about what meals you can make and write a shopping list so you don’t buy things you already have.
- Know your dates. Check the dates on items in your fridge and move items into the freezer if you don’t think you’ll have time to eat or cook them.
- Perfect portions. Reduce the amount of food you waste by measuring out your perfect portion. For instance, a mug full of rice will serve four adults. Check out LFHWs Portion Planner for more help getting your helpings just the right size.
- Love your leftovers. The Love Food Hate Waste website helps you to find recipes for your leftovers.
LFHW have also produced a quickfire quiz which will use your answers and provide tailored advice and tips on how to get the most from your food.
What else can I do to reduce food waste?
A great place to start is to keep a food waste diary. Write down every bit of food you throw away, noting why you had to chuck it instead of using it up. This will help you spot which foods you waste more than others, and make you think twice about what you buy next time you do a food shop.
Download the Love Food Hate Waste - food diary if you want to give it a try.
Remember, your freezer is your best tool for tackling food waste! The majority of foods can be frozen right up to their 'use by' date so you can use them later on.
If you've got some vegetables that you know you won't use in time, for example, chop them up ready to cook and freeze them. That way, you can grab a handful at a time and use them all up rather than throwing any away.
Why not try Olio? Olio connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from your baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away. Visit the Olio website to find out more or download the app on Google Play or the App Store to get started!
Too Good to Go is another option that allows you to save unsold food from local shops and restaurants from being wasted.
At Oddbox you can purchase boxes of odd but still delicious fruits and vegetables that would otherwise have been discarded purely for their appearance.