Recent research from WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) revealed that the average UK household throws away the equivalent of six meals every week, at a cost of £60 per month.
The wasteful habits many people have acquired are bad for the environment and detrimental to their bank balance, but adopting more eco- and wallet-friendly habits is simple. Check out our top tips for reducing the amount of food you throw away below:
Meal planning
Carefully plan the meals your household will consume in the time between your supermarket trips, and you can create a shopping list that only features produce that will be eaten.
Sit down and decide what your family will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the days, adding any snacks and drinks to the list too. You can then translate this into a list of necessary ingredients and products – make sure to cross any off that are already in your kitchen.
You should also include the quantities needed, so that you do not buy more than is necessary and end up throwing leftovers away.
Careful shopping
You must stick strictly to your shopping list, and not be enticed by special offers. For example, don’t take advantage of or be tempted by Buy One Get One Free deals if you won’t make use of the second item anyway.
It is also important that you use your meal planner to chooseproducts with an appropriate best-before or use-by date: purchase fresh food that will be rotten before you’ve planned to eat it, and there will be wastage and a ruined meal.
However, don’t select products with a needlessly distant best-before date. In other words, if you are going to use an ingredient on Monday, pick up that which expires on Monday rather than one that expires on Tuesday. Otherwise, you unnecessarily increase the risk that the supermarket will have to take the item off the shelf and throw it away.
Storage
If you do find that you have extra ingredients or leftovers, don’t throw them away. Freezing foods can expand their lifespan for one to three months, and you might be surprised at what you can save – Love Food Hate Waste shows you how even milk can be safely frozen.
Use freezer-safe food storage solutions like those available from Kleeneze to avoid freezer burn and other issues that could ruin your products, and make sure you label everything for easy identification.
You should also use proper food storage to prevent opened foods from spoiling. For example, airtight boxes can be used to delay the softening of biscuits and the moulding of bread, and prevent vegetables from knocking together and bruising.
