Food waste costs the average person in London £200 a year
By Laura Maia
We are constantly failing to make food last. We buy more than we need, cook more than we eat and often forget that broccoli in the refrigerator drawer until it starts to smell. Not only is this environmentally damaging, it is also very expensive. Food waste costs the average person in London £200 a year according to Recycle for London, a programme delivered in partnership by the Greater London Authority and Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
In total, London households throw away almost 900,000 tonnes of food each year, which costs waste authorities over £50 million annually to dispose of, as is pointed out by research conducted by WRAP.
Londoners throw away an estimated 900,000 tonnes of food each year, of which 540,000 tonnes is avoidable.
Although these numbers are pretty scary, there are many initiatives fighting against food waste in the city. They range from startups that connect people with surplus food in local shops to public initiatives with free workshops and leftover recipes.
Check out London in Numbers' 7 tips on how you can fight food waste:
1.Learn how to store your food better. Bread in the fridge goes stale much quicker, for example. You should keep it in a cool dark place such as a bread bin or a store cupboard. Leave potatoes in a cool, dark place rather than refrigerating them. To find out more, click here.
2.Explore more leftover recipes in order to use all that you have in your fridge! The website Love Food Hate Waste collects hundreds of leftover recipes from chefs. You can search by ingredient!
3.Olio is a free app that connects people with their neighbours and with local shops to share surplus food instead of throwing it away. Good for your pocket and for the planet!
4.Through the app Too Good to Go you can order food (with discount!) from 350 restaurants, cafes, bakeries etc. in London. After ordering online you have to collect it up to an hour before closing time. The idea is to promote the match between the consumer and the meal that could have gone to waste.
5.Recently launched, The "Small Change, Big Difference" campaign will go through nine boroughs in London. They are hosting workshops, food waste dinners and a wide variety of events to help Londoners waste less and recycle what can’t be eaten. The campaign is part of a project called TRiFOCAL which is funded by EU Life. Check out the coming events here.
6.This one is simple. Remember to freeze the food you haven’t had the time to eat – any time before the date on the label. If you are in doubt if you can freeze an item (probably you do!) check this link and you will be surprised.
7.There is some "inevitable" food waste - egg shells, banana skins and tea bags… So what can you do with these? Composting might be the answer (especially if you have a garden)! Check out this step by step guide here or check if your local authority offers a food waste collection service.
Do not forget to share your own tips with us! In a city where both food waste and hunger coexist every single movement can make a difference.
