"Our research showed that 90% of consumers are completely unaware of the amount of food they throw away. Once attention is drawn to it however, we know that people are surprised and keen to take action. If we could halt the amount of food being wasted in this way, we would make a big impact – the same as taking 1 in 5 cars off UK roads"
Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive at WRAP
Banbury, England: A new Government backed campaign was launched today that reveals we are throwing away a staggering third of the food we buy in the UK, most of which could have been eaten.
WRAP (Waste Resource and Action Programme) says that this astonishing statistic came out of pioneering research it undertook earlier this year which shows that for every three bags of shopping brought home, one is effectively thrown straight in the bin.
The new ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign is aimed at raising consumer awareness of this problem. It will provide information on simple steps that can be taken and have a significant environmental impact.
The difficulty with food waste being subjected to anaerobic processes in landfill is that a product of the degradation process is methane gas which is around 21 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
However, this is only part of the picture. You also have to consider all the embedded energy used to produce, package, transport and deliver the food to our homes which produces the equivalent of at least 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, according to WRAP.
“It is sad that so much food is being wasted needlessly” explains Dr Liz Goodwin, WRAP Chief Executive. “At a cost of £8 billion a year, it’s a serious issue that not only impacts the environment but our pockets too”.
"Food production and consumption has a serious impact on the environment. There is a lot individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint, including reducing their food waste"
Joan Ruddock, Minister for waste
In addition to press advertising and a supporting PR campaign that features celebrity chefs, home economists and well known personalities, the Love Food Hate Wastecampaign features a website
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ which gives advice, ideas on preparation, storage, portioning and recipes.
Dr Goodwin commented further:
“Our research showed that 90% of consumers are completely unaware of the amount of food they throw away. Once attention is drawn to it however, we know that people are surprised and keen to take action".
“If we could halt the amount of food being wasted in this way, we would make a big impact – the same as taking 1 in 5 cars off UK roads".
Joan Ruddock, Defra Minister with responsibility for recycling and waste, said:
“Food production and consumption has a serious impact on the environment. There is a lot individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint, including reducing their food waste. This campaign will show them how easy this can be and that it makes financial and environmental sense.
“WRAP’s work with retailers and consumer groups to spread the message and raise awareness is vital. But we also need the food industry to change. That's why the Government has introduced the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS), so that we can work with them to improve their environmental, social and economic performance.”
Women's Institute
The campaign has the backing of the Women’s Institute, who are launching their own ‘Love Food Champions’ initiative which will reach out to communities and provide on the ground support on how to minimise food waste across the UK.
“We are passionate about food and preventing waste. We want to help individuals and families to reduce waste and that’s why we are strongly supporting Love Food Hate Waste” says Fay Mansell, NFWI Chair.
Ainsley Harriott, the popular TV chef is supporting the campaign, along with several other chefs and well known celebrities.
Ainsley said:
“The amount of food we throw away is criminal and we all need to take action and start changing our behaviour. That’s why I’m supporting Love Food Hate Waste,” he says. “This campaign is aimed at everyone. You don’t have to be a chef to know how to cut down on food waste, you just need to care about your food and your pocket and the rest will follow.”
Further information
For more information on the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, visit:
www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Key findings of WRAP's recent research on the nature, scale and causes of household food waste can be found at: www.wrap.org.uk/retail/food_waste/index.html
WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment.
More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk