Reducing food waste
Nearly one third of the contents of the average rubbish bin in Barnet is food waste
As this wasted food rots away in landfill it generates methane, a gas that causes climate change and is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
With the typical household throwing away between £250 and £400 worth of edible food each year it makes sense to reduce the amount of food you throw away and spend all that money on something more worthwhile.
Fortunately, there are simple steps that you can take to be less wasteful.
Why not:
- Stop before you shop – make a list and shop with specific meals in mind so that you buy only what you need
- Use it or lose it – plan meals with the use by date in mind
- Avoid soggy surprises – keep your fridge at 1-5°C to get the best from your food
- Love your leftovers – make delicious meals from your leftovers
- BOGOF - Buy one get one free offers are only good value if you use both items. Think before you buy.
- Eat before you shop - Don't go food shopping when you're hungry. It will only make you buy more food than you need.
All of these things will save you money as well as reducing your waste. Put them into action and then start to think about what you can do with that £400.
And remember to recycle the food waste you can't prevent. You can turn your food waste into a valuable compost which is great for your plants. With subsidised composters composting at home is now easier than ever.
