Every year, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food is wasted in the UK food industry. Globally, 25–30% of total food produced is lost or wasted, and food waste is estimated to contribute to 8-10% of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA.
According to the most recent report by the charity ‘Waste and Resources Action Programme’ (WRAP), the UK have produced around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in 2018. WRAP estimated that this waste had a value of over £19 billion a year and would be associated with more than 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It has said that of this waste, 6.4 million tonnes could have been eaten—the equivalent of over 15 billion meals!
The vast majority of food waste ends up in already overly crowded landfill sites. While many people do not view this as an issue as food items degrade naturally over time, it contributes heavily to global warming and the erosion of the O-Zone layer.’
What can you do to reduce food waste?
There are many resources you can find online and around the UK where you can gain access of cheap eats! There are great food apps such as ‘Too good to go’ which allows users to spend as little as £3. Their goal is to save unsold food from your local restaurants/cafes and store(s)!
Try to avoid over buying! You’ve heard of the term ‘your eyes are hungrier than your stomach’ do your pockets and planet a favour and avoid over buying! Although a packed fridge may temporarily look good, this can be a huge factor towards food waste if the house hold cannot eat it all.
Freeze your goods! – Freezing foods can help preserve them for later use and prevent them from spoiling. Many fresh fruits and vegetables keep well when frozen, extending their shelf life and reducing waste. Some foods can be preserved well in the freezer like bread, various meats and even prepared food dishes!
Many manufacturers put different labels on foods, like “sell by” or “use by.” These dates help markets know when to rotate their stock, but they can be confusing for consumers.
The easiest way to see if your food has gone bad is to trust the senses. If a product smells, looks, or tastes spoiled, it probably is. When in doubt, it’s best to throw it out!
Pack a lunch! – a very simple way of avoiding food waste on the go is to bring food from home. This can also save you money!
Hunger in the UK
It is said that there are 8.4 million people in the UK struggling to afford to eat – this is comparable to the entire population of London! The UN figures also show that ‘5.6% of people aged over 15 struggle to get enough food and a further 4.5% say that they have been a full day without eating anything. At Provide a Meal, we work with different charities, restaurant, organisations and individuals to ensure that the UK is a hunger free zone and we do this with our PAM App. To give as low as £3 pound meal to someone in need, Please download our app today. @provideameal
‘Kindness’
Taken in Portsmouth, UK, Original Photos by @LDA.Productions
