Reducing food waste
Food waste costs the average household £470 a year, so reducing your what you throw away is good for your pocket and the environment. Most food waste is avoidable so by following some easy steps you can stop literally throwing money away!
Did you know potatoes, bread, milk, leftover meals, soft drinks and meat are the foods most regularly wasted? But you can take some simple steps to reduce your waste.
Make a plan
- Plan meals for three-four days at a time - that gives you some flexibility to reuse unexpected leftovers
- Think about what food you need - are you planning to eat out or get a takeaway so you will need to buy less?
- Check your fridge and cupboards - do you have anything that needs eating soon?
- If you prefer to bulk buy, plan to cook double or more and put portions in the freezer
- Find recipes and make a list of everything you need
Shop smart
- Make a shopping list taking into account what you already have in the fridge/cupboard
- Shop local or from specialist butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger
- Choosing seasonal foods will mean food is fresher, will last longer and is likely to be cheaper
- Don’t get distracted by offers and end-of-aisle displays
- Choose fresh foods that can be frozen
- Check the labels for best before dates – the longer the better!
Be savvy with your storage
- Slice your bread and store in the freezer in a freezer bag. You can get out a slice at a time to put in the toaster
- Cut up overripe bananas and freeze to make the perfect base for a smoothie
- Did you know you can freeze cheese, eggs, milk, herbs and breadcrumbs?
- Dried food lasts lot longer than fresh and is a great option if you don’t have a freezer. Think pasta, lentils, rice, beans, quinoa and chickpeas.
Further information
- Information and advice on how to waste less food from the Love Food, Hate Waste campaign
- Get creativewith your leftovers!
- Think about the fish you eat
- Consider joining meat-free Monday
- Helptackle climate change