Residents on the Isle of Wight are being urged to cut down on food waste as part of a national campaign highlighting the scale of the problem across the UK.
The Isle of Wight Council is backing Food Waste Action Week, the UK’s largest annual food waste reduction campaign, organised by WRAP through its Love Food Hate Waste initiative.
The campaign aims to encourage households to take simple steps to reduce food waste, save money and help protect the environment.
According to WRAP, UK households throw away around 4.4million tonnes of edible food each year, producing approximately 16million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Food wasted in UK homes is valued at around £17.5billion annually, with the average family of four losing about £1,000 each year through discarded food.
With around 60% of all UK food waste coming from households, residents are being encouraged to make small changes to everyday habits.
Suggestions include planning meals ahead and buying only what is needed, turning leftovers into new meals and using food waste caddies for unavoidable scraps such as peelings and cores.
Residents on the Isle of Wight can order a free food waste caddy via the Isle of Wight Council website or by calling 01983 823777.
Natasha Dix, Service Director for Waste, Environment and Planning, has said:
“Food waste is not just an environmental issue; it is an economic and moral one.
“When households across the UK are collectively wasting billions of pounds’ worth of perfectly edible food each year, we all have a responsibility to act.
“Food Waste Action Week reminds us that meaningful change does not require grand gestures. Planning meals, using leftovers creatively and recycling unavoidable scraps are simple steps that, taken together, make a profound difference.
“If every household on the Isle of Wight makes small changes, the impact for our community and our environment will be significant.”
More information and recipe ideas can be found at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/foods-and-recipes.
Waste food? Too much money.
There is too much food waste in this world,
it is not only households it is businesses too!
I visit many island eateries and it is shocking the
amount of food waste customers leave behind on
their plates, WHY!!
My guess is the quality is poor, so many places serve
up slop, hence so much being left on their plates, could
also be due to serving up large portions when some
persons only want small portions.
Best way to reduce food waste is to give customers
better options when ordering food.
We need places offering better choices eg
choose breakfast options eg build your own
breakfast.
It is shocking the amount of places who do
not let customers swap breakfast items for
alternative items, therefore less food waste.
So much can be done to tackle food waste and
it’s not being done.
Been doing this last 20 years..move on.