Do we really waste that much?

When asked ,lot of people say they don't waste a lot of food ,we dont think we do?, maybe we don't want to admit it , or we don't consider it important? Are we simply not aware of the scale of our food waste habits?  Take the food waste challenge to see exactly how much food waste you generate on a weekly basis. You might even suprise yourself at how much food goes in the bin without you realising it. Current estimates put the household as the primary generator, a staggering 70% of all food waste generated comes from the home, it is conservatively estimated that one in four meals worth of food is discarded - costing on average £284 per person per year. Now imagine your a medium to large household its a considerable amount to waste  every year . Its worth noting that this is only the recorded figure from food waste collections. The actual figure is most likely much much higher. Some of the research relies on self reporting  which cant always be seen as a truly valid indicator. However food waste is a preventable problem. with a few steps at home you could be on your way to doing a little bit to help.

IS FOOD WASTE THAT IMPORTANT?

When we waste food - we have wasted a lot more than just the food and the money - its the associated packaging, the resources taken in the production and manufacturing process. Its the hard work and risks taken by producers to ensure food is readily available. We have learned that the effect of human activity on climate change is critical. The biggest contributor to emissions is the global food industry, from agriculutre to logistics there is a carbon foot print from food production , but increasingly from food waste too! The estimated emissions from un recycled food waste are so significant that there is an increasing appetite from countries all over the world to develop systems to help deal with it.

Our consumption and associated wasting of of food is one of the biggest contributors to our unstable climate. recent catastrophic weather events have had a serious impact on our food supplies, these sadly are forecast to be more frequent in the years ahead. Its crucial we don't waste with this in mind.

By reducing food waste you will be 

• Saving Money
• Saving energy
• Doing a little bit for the environment.
• Getting the most from your food
• ensuring resources used in production are used to their maximum

Commonly wasted foods

When attempting to understand how much you waste - In the kitchen we separate our food waste from general waste to start with - we generally have small waste bins when we are prepping this gives us an indication of the organic waste generated during preparation - we have plate waste bins to give us an indication of food waste generated post service - and food waste bins to give us an idication of what was wasted during cooking such as discarded vegetables or products which dont meet quality control standards. It would be difficult to expect the same detailed analysis as you would in a working kitchen. seeing is believing however and if you start to see where the waste is coming from , then you can deal with it accordingly. The five steps listed below will help you - record - monitor and evaluate the food waste generated in your home.

• Step 1 - Separate your food waste

Food waste can be broken down into as general or as detailed categories as you like - when it comes to food , we are subjective , so edible vs inedible will indeed vary. remember the difference between use by and best before, use your senses to check for signs of spoilage - always ask - can this be saved - can I preserve it or compost it, if not always recycle it - its the least worst option!

• Step 2  - Record What you waste

Make a record of your waste, and put a value on it. - Record the reason why the food was wasted.

• Step 3 - Analyze your food waste

Evaluate the reasons why you wasted items of food. perhaps there were mitigating circumstances, or simply you forgot. Perhaps the food was already inedible.

• Step 4 - Evaluate your waste 

Taking a moment to think about the reasons for the food waste generated can act as as spring board to reducing waste in the future, By identifying the reasons helps us learn to waste less in the future.

• Step 5 - Remedy the causes of your waste

See if there are things you can change which would , lead to a reduction in the amount of food waste your household creates.

Useful Links

There are many many practical uses for food that's close to the edge - that is within days of going bad. Of course its easier just to chuck it out - its not right though. You wouldn't chuck a handful of change in the bin would you? We can incorporate it into an adhoc dish such as an epic sandwich or pie, or pot of soup. we could preserve it for later on by making flavored oils or chutneys, relishes or jams, we could dehydrate certain foods, we can pickle and ferment or we could cook then chill or freeze to get an extra time on our food supplies. For more information see food preservation.  The most commonly wasted foods are highlighted below with some tips on what to do with these items of food before they spoil.