Be Sustainable: Why is Food Waste a Problem?
You may not give too much thought when you throw food in the bin, but doing so can have a huge negative impact on the environment. If collected as general waste, food waste reaches landfill sites where it isn’t exposed to enough oxygen and so it begins to rot then releasing methane into the air. Methane is an extremely harmful greenhouse gas.
Each year, UK homes waste 4.5 million tonnes of edible food, which is the CO2 equivalent of someone taking over 4.6 million return flights from London to Perth. Not to mention the environmental impact of producing the food in the first place. Alongside its damaging effects on the environment, food waste also burns a hole in your pocket. By wasting food, you are essentially throwing your money into the bin.
Tips to prevent food waste
• Freeze leftovers to eat later in the week
• Organise your fridge so the food that needs eating sooner is at the front
• Control your portion sizes
• Write a shopping list and stick to it
• Purchase the “wonky” vegetables
• Donate or share unwanted food with friends, family and neighbours
• Ignore the “best before date” and examine foods for signs of spoilage instead
• Recycle or home compost your waste, turn your food into soil for the garden
The less food waste that ends up in landfill can only be a good thing for all of us so these simple tips can have a positive effect of how much we contribute to the food waste problem whilst saving money.
Safe Stay, Kim
