Reducing food waste

Just over 6.5 million tonnes of edible food are thrown away in the UK every year. That's enough food to produce 15 billion meals which could feed everyone in the UK three times per day for 11 weeks. Not only is this a huge issue for society, but it's devastating for the environment too. If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of emissions after the US and China. 

It's for these reasons that we must work to reduce the amount of food we waste. It's not always our fault that food is wasted but there are things we can do to help:

Check your fridge temperature

It should be between 0-5C. Food, especially milk, will go off much quicker if it's warmer.

Use your fridge wisely

Some foods keep better outside the fridge. This includes bread (keep it in a cool dark place like a bread bin or cupboard), bananas, pineapples, potatoes and onions.

Love your list

Make a shopping list (the easiest way is to keep it in the kitchen and add to it as you think of things) and stick to it when you go shopping. Plan ahead and shop with specific meals in mind.

Water your veg

Keep the stems of vegetables such as broccoli, celery, and asparagus in water to help them stay fresh and crisp.

Freeze your 5-a-day

Got fresh fruit and veg that you can't use in time? Why not freeze them? Some fruit and veg will lose their texture when frozen- you can deal with this by freezing them pureed or stewed. This applies to tomatoes (use the puree in smoothies or as a sauce) and apples (use stewed apple on your porridge or muesli, or as the base for a fruit crumble).

Freeze leftovers

Many leftovers and chilled convenience meals freeze well too. If you've made something like pasta or rice with a sauce, freezing the sauce separately will work better.

Measure your portions

Reduce waste by cooking only the amount you need. Measuring takes away the guesswork and makes it more likely you'll get the right amount. Get a handy guide to measuring portions from Love Food Hate Waste.

Sauces and dips

Lots of leftovers can be made into sauces or dips. If you've got leftover beans or pulses (either that you've cooked yourself or from a tin), mash or blend with some garlic, lemon juice and herbs for a hummus-style dip (don't try this with baked beans, unless you rinse them thoroughly first). Slightly over-ripe avocados are great for guacamole, and tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers with need using can be made into home-made salsa.

Freeze dairy products

Semi-skimmed and skimmed milk freeze better than whole. If it separates once defrosted, just give it a good shake. Hard cheese also freezes well- cut it into smaller portions, or grate some ready to use later.

Revive past-it bread

Bread rolls past their best? Put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up again. You can also make stale bread into breadcrumbs- either mix them with herbs and onions as a stuffing for chicken or to top baked fish, or freeze the breadcrumbs for later use. Loaves of bread freeze well too. If you're freezing a loaf or rolls from an in-store bakery, transfer into a freezer bag for better results rather than just freezing it in the packaging it comes in.

 Other ways to help the environment through food:

  • Check where you food is coming from- Try to eat locally grown/sourced products and eat in-season fresh produce. This helps limit transport emissions by reducing the distance food travels to reach you, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of products. This also helps support local farmers/businesses and stimulates the local economy.
  • Eat organic- Try to eat organic products where possible. Organic products are grown with restricted amounts of chemical fertilisers which usually come from abroad and are the result of burning fossil fuels. Organic products are usually made with natural fertilisers with much less impact on the environment.
  • Reduce your intake of animal products-Animal products create significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions such as methane produced from cows and sheep. Furthermore, the requirement of extensive agricultural land needed for farming animal products often results in trees being cut down to create space. Reducing your intake of animal products will help avoid this. This change could be as small as having one meat-free day a week or no longer drinking dairy milk or as large as adopting a vegan diet- both will help. 
  • Buy wonky veg- Some supermarkets now sell wonky veg at a reduced price than the other products. This veg is exactly the same as the rest of the produce except it doesn't look the same. This could be that a carrot has grown in a funny angle or a potato has grown joined to another. This produce would otherwise end up in landfill as it cannot be sold with the rest for the same price, so by buying it you are helping your wallet and the environment! 
  • Use apps such as Too Good To Go to buy surplus food bundles that would otherwise go to waste from restaurants, cafes, bakeries, etc, at discounted prices.