In times of record food poverty, how can people ensure that none of their food goes to waste?
By M. Victoria Calabrese
In 2020 the number of people who rely on food banks to eat rose dramatically, and in the UK alone there are 8.4 million people in food poverty. Yet according to a study by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), in 2018 we threw out 6.6 million tonnes of edible food.
The good news is that is a drop – in 2007, we threw out a whopping 8.1 million tonnes of perfectly edible food. How can we continue to do even better?
According to the initiative Love Food Hate Waste, an average family can save up to £60 a month by reducing their food waste. They recommend a multitude of things to reduce what we throw into the bin daily, such as efficiently organising food so nothing is forgotten in the depths of the fridge and goes bad. They also recommend trying to leave space for leftover foods in the freezer.
On their website, Love Food Hate Waste have a plethora of recipes and tips which can help people to waste less food. Some people also shared what they do to reduce their own food waste.
Top tips to reduce food waste
“ I make sure that I calculate my portions carefully so that I usually don’t end up with leftovers,” said psychologist Marian Heafliger, 40. She recommends taking your leftovers from restaurants – when they finally open again – back home and eating them as lunch the following day.
“It’s important not to buy more than you’ll eat, so buying more frequently and less is very helpful,” she said.
“I try and plan my meals for the week in advance. So that I know exactly how much to buy,” said Sarah Zaugg, a 21-year-old single mother and animal caretaker. “Food can get very expensive very quickly so it is important for me to make sure nothing goes to waste.”
There’s an app for that!
Apps which can help individuals and communities reduce their overall food waste can also be helpful. A lot of restaurants are often forced to throw out unsold food at the end of the day, as they can’t sell food which could go off or may not look as “fresh” as it did the previous day.
Check these apps out:
Karma: An app which can help people find unsold food from restaurants, cafes and bars across London.
Too Good To Go: This app tackles the issue of food waste by giving stores a platform to sell their surplus produce.
No Waste: App that helps people keep track of what they have in their fridge and panties and how long it’s still usable.
Even with the best intentions in mind, most of us occasionally overbuy certain foods. That’s why it makes sense to consider donating to food banks and soup kitchens.
Each soup kitchen and food bank has its requirements of what items are accepted and which ones are not. But in general terms, the items shouldn’t have past their expiration date and should be in good condition. See more on the website of Islington Foodbank, which now operates on an appointment system to keep both clients and volunteers safe.
There are lots of things each individual can do to reduce their food waste. By making small steps in the right direction, the massive issue of food waste will be just a little bit smaller.
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