Warwickshire County Council is looking to help reduce waste and save households up to £1,000 a year as it supports Love Food Hate Waste’s Food Waste Action Week (17 to 23 March).
Food Waste Action Week is the flagship annual event delivered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)’s Love Food Hate Waste initiative. The campaign helps households develop the tools they need to cut food waste at home. This year, Food Waste Action Week will continue to focus on raising awareness of the benefits of buying loose fruit and vegetables.
With food waste costing on average £1,000 for a household of four every year, Food Waste Action Week will help shoppers to save money and waste less food by shopping for loose produce. Food waste that is not composted also costs the council money in landfill costs.
WRAP’s research has identified the potential to reduce household food waste by removing the packaging on uncut fresh fruit and veg, enabling us to buy closer to our needs as well as the ‘bonus’ benefit of eliminating a significant amount of unnecessary packaging.
There are many ways to help reduce food waste, here are the Warwickshire Waste and Recycling Team’s top five tips:
Plan meals – check cupboards for items you will need and write a shopping list
Buy only what you need – Buying fruit and vegetables loose mean you can buy what you need. For example, if you only need two carrots for a casserole you won’t need to buy a 1kg bag of carrots.
Check your fridge temperature – it should be below 5 degrees centigrade to keep food at its freshest for longer.
Measure ingredients to help with portion size – Check out the Love Food Hate Waste portion calculator.
Eat your leftovers – Love Food Hate Waste has a database of recipes that is perfect for using up leftovers.
Any food waste that can’t be eaten, such as eggshells, should either be composted at home or recycled at the kerbside.
Cllr Heather Timms, portfolio holder for Environment and Heritage and Culture said: “We are proud to be supporting Food Waste Action Week; it’s a win-win for us and for our residents. The focus on buying loose fruit and vegetables not only reduces unnecessary packaging but also allows residents to purchase only what they need, saving money and minimising waste.
“Simple habits like meal planning, checking fridge temperatures, and utilizing leftovers all contribute to a more sustainable future for Warwickshire and combat the significant cost of food waste, both for the family and for the council."
Find out more about WRAPs Love Food Hate Waste campaign: Love Food Hate Waste / Preventing food waste
Information about your local recycling centres and booking can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/hwrc
Residents can Follow Warwickshire Recycles on social media for daily tips:
- On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/warwickshire_recycles/
- On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles
Residents can find out where their recycling goes and the types of products it goes on to be remade into by visiting www.warwickshire.gov.uk/whereitgoes
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk/