Taste it, Don’t Waste it!
Did you know – each year, one million tonnes of perfectly good food and drink is thrown in home kitchen bins all over the country without a single bite or sip being taken!
A new Wrap report shows that half our household food waste ends up in the bin still whole or unopened because it hasn’t been used in time. On the bright side, they also found that between 2007 and 2012 we reduced the amount of avoidable household food waste by 21% – this food would have been worth almost £13 billion. So wasting less is really paying off too.
While this is great news, there are still loads of opportunities to continue to reduce food waste, especially since the equivalent of 23 million wheeled bins of food are thrown away from homes in the UK every year. We challenge you to do just one thing differently to stop food ending up in the bin or recycling. By making sure you don’t throw away food before it gets eaten you can save money or you could help someone else to save. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Try browsing these ideas to get started:
Keep a short food waste diary
Keeping track of the amount of food going in your food recycling bin or kitchen bin is a great way to identify the items you throw away most often. You can use this 7 day food waste diary (1682 downloads) to record the food you throw away, or you could create your own, and if you want, take photos as you go. Afterwards, take stock and see what items you are most likely to throw away. Don’t forget, drinks and liquids count too.
Brush up on food saving tips
Did you know you can freeze milk in ice cube trays? Then pop them straight into your coffee or tea when you need them. There are loads of helpful tips out there for all types of food, we’ve got a few savvy storage ideas, Love Food Hate Waste have a handy A-Z of food saving tips and your friends will probably have lots of ideas too. If you think there’s a tip that others should know share it with Love Food Hate Waste who publish tips on their site or broadcast it yourself on social media.
Make a shopping list
Do you ever find yourself lost in the supermarket? Baffled by the amount on offer, yet not sure what you need or want to eat? Avoid this by bringing a shopping list with you. Before setting off, take stock of the food you already have in your fridge, freezer and cupboard, to avoid buying too much of the same things you already have.
Planning meals in advance and using the plan to make your list is also a great way to avoid waste and save money. You can also jot your shopping list down on your mobile or use the Love Food Hate Waste app – it’s a nifty way to ensure you don’t forget it! Taking the time to plan your trip to the shop will actually save you time in the long run.
Change the way you store your food
Vegetables love to be stored in the fridge, except potatoes and onions which do best in cool, dark places. If veggies have a stem, like broccoli or heads of lettuce, store them upright in a glass of water- they will last that much longer. Or try freezing half the loaf and toasting from frozen. Most foods can be frozen for another time so if you know you won’t get to them before the use-by date – simply store in the freezer for another time.
The Love Food Hate Waste A-Z of food saving tips and our savvy storage ideas can get you started.
Know your dates
Keep foods with the shortest use-by dates at the front of your fridge. You can freeze food right up to the use-by date, so don’t forget to pop anything you don’t have time to eat into your freezer before then.
Best before dates refer to the quality of the food, so it is safe to eat after, but may not be at its peak taste or texture. Display until and sell-by dates are for shops, so they can be safely ignored.
Try to do just one thing differently and see how much you can save. Let’s all make sure our food gets tasted and not wasted!
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