Food For Thought Fortnight: 31st August – 13th September
This year we are focusing on the problem of food waste. Globally, one third of all food produced is wasted. In the UK, this is the equivalent to 22 million meals every day.
Why should we care?
“In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense – economically, environmentally and ethically. Aside from the cost implications, all the land, water, fertilizers and labour needed to grow that food is wasted – not to mention the generation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by food decomposing on landfill and the transport of food that is ultimately thrown away. To bring about the vision of a truly sustainable world, we need a transformation in the way we produce and consume our natural resources.” UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner
Did you know:
- The waste of good food and drink is associated with 4% of the UK’s total water footprint.
- There are two main reasons why we throw away good food: we cook or prepare too much or we don’t use it in time.
- The food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people.
- Even if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people in the world.
How to get involved:
- Let’s Get Wasted Night – 6th Sept at The Beaufort Hotel. Delicious dishes created from food donated by a local supermarket that they would be throwing out (but that is still safe to eat!).
- Transition Chepstow ‘No Food Waste’ Challenge – how much can you reduce your food waste by in just a fortnight?
- A Facebook recipe exchange – how imaginative are you with using up leftovers?
Tips on how to minimise your food waste – from changing your shopping habits at the supermarket to starting a home composting system.To register your interest in these events and receive update emails contact food4thought@transitionchepstow.org.ukTake the ‘No Food Waste Challenge’Globally, one third of all food produced is wasted.How much can you reduce your food waste by in just a week?
Using the green food waste bags (provided free of charge by Monmouthshire County Council and available from Chepstow One Stop Shop), keep a track of how many bags you fill in a week.
Then, try again the following week, using all the helpful hints and tips available on the Transition Chepstow website to reduce your food waste.
UK consumers throw away £480 worth of food per household each year – over 4 million tonnes of food nationally. That’s 22 million meals a day.
Let us know via our Facebook page or by emailing food4thought@transitionchepstow.org.uk the difference between the two weeks and how many people are in your family.
All participants of the Challenge will be entered into a prize draw to win a delicious hamper full of lovely locally produced food.
How to waste less food
In the UK households waste:
27% of fruit and vegetables 17% of drinks 11% of baked goods 10% of dairy products
There are two main reasons for waste – we prepare too much, or we don’t use it in time. Here are some tips for reducing both kinds of waste. You can find more advice and tips at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Shopping: Buy what you need – don’t be tempted by special offers unless you know you can use them – or freeze them for later. Planning meals in advance, and making a shopping list (and sticking to it!) may be helpful.
Buying fruit and vegetables loose rather than pre-packed lets you buy just what you need – and cuts down on packaging waste as well.
Storage: Don’t let your food spoil! Keep your fridge below 5% so that meat and dairy products last as long as possible. Most fruit and vegetables (except potatoes, onions, bananas and pineapples) are best stored in the bottom of the fridge.
Check the dates on your food regularly so you use it in time. If you can’t use it, you can freeze food right up to the use by date. Where the advice is to ‘use within three days of opening’ (for example with fruit juices) try writing the opening date on the carton in marker pen as a reminder. Remember, ‘use by dates’ are a matter of food safety, but ‘best before’ dates are generally for guidance only.
You can freshen up a loaf that’s a little bit stale in the oven, and vegetables that are a bit past their best may still be fine in soups or stews.
Cooking: Cook sensible portions. If there are leftovers, they can usually be saved for next day. Keep them in the fridge, make sure they are reheated thoroughly and don’t reheat more than once. Or they can be frozen.
Get used to using leftovers creatively – use leftover potatoes for potato salad, cooked vegetables for soups, make breadcrumbs from the end of loaves and so on. See www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for great recipes using leftovers.
Every household is different. Try making a note of things that you regularly throw away: half pots of yoghurt? Bits of hard cheese? Ends of loaves? Soggy salad? Take the challenge – what can you do differently to save waste and save money?
And finally – if you have a garden, why not make your own compost? Uncooked fruit and vegetable waste as well as garden waste can be turned into compost. Coffee grounds and eggshells are also useful around the garden, deterring slugs in a way that doesn’t harm wildlife.
How can you help further:
- Buying locally – as well as helping to support local producers and reducing your food miles, buying locally gives you greater control over how much you buy – only buying what you need saves you money and saves food from ending up in landfill
- Lobby the supermarkets – they are always telling us they only respond to what consumers what – tell them all cucumbers taste the same, whether they are straight or curly. This could prevent an huge amount of produce being wasted before it even reaches the shop shelves.
- Start home composting – most household food waste comes from peelings and trimmings. Why not start composting them yourself? – your garden will thank you for it!
Subsidised Composting
Monmouthshire County Council offer reduced priced compost bins to Monmouthshire residents through our UK supplier, Original Organics – www.originalorganics.co.uk
The 220 litre Classic Rotol compost bin (without a hatch) starts at £6 and the Garden King 220 litre compost bin (with a hatch) starts at £8, larger sizes are also available.
To order a compost bin, follow these three simple steps:
- Telephone Original Organics on 01884 841515 to order and pay for your bin, using a debit or credit card.
- Original Organics will send you a voucher for the bin you have purchased.
- Take your voucher along to your nearest participating garden centre and exchange your voucher for a bin.
(Participating garden centres are listed on the voucher – there are at least four in Monmouthshire)
If you would prefer to have your bin delivered, Original Organics can deliver at an additional cost of £14.00