Reducing food waste tips

Wasting food costs the average family approximately £680 a year, and has serious environmental implications too.

In the UK we throw away around one third of the food we buy, most of which could have been eaten.

40% of this food, almost one million tonnes is not even touched and at least a tenth is still in date.

The most common reason for food being wasted is that it’s left unused or we cook and prepare too much.

Ways to reduce food waste

Here are four easy ways you can avoid wasting food:

• make sure you measure your food to get the right portions
• plan your meals so you are less likely to have leftovers (or visit Love Food Hate Waste to get some recipe ideas using leftovers)
• store your food well so it lasts as long as possible and make sure you understand food date labels
• keep a food waste diary for a week to help you understand how much and what foods you waste at home.

More information

For more information about reducing food waste and saving money as well as recipe ideas, visit Love Food Hate Waste. 

For food waste such as fruit and vegetable peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds and crushed egg shells, you can compost it at home.