WRAP estimated annual food waste arisings within UK households, hospitality & food service (HaFS), food manufacture, retail and wholesale sectors in 2018 at around 9.5 million tonnes.

From: https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/food-surplus-and-waste-uk-key-facts

Of the 6.6 million tonnes households in the UK throw away, almost three quarters (70% of the total) is food we could have eaten (4.5million tonnes).

Learn how to reduce food waste at home with these simple tips:

Plan meals – meal planning really helps as you don’t buy food that doesn’t get used.

Shop with a list – keep a note through the week of things that run out. There are plenty of apps available to help with this too.

Know your dates – make a note of the use by dates on the food you buy. Make sure you use food up before that date, by planning around these dates.

Freeze things – the freezer is your friend! You can freeze many things – meat and fish, milk, yogurt, some fruits and vegetables. This is especially useful if things are getting nearer their use by date. “Customers should freeze products right up to their use-by date instead of throwing them out,” says Susi Richards, head of product development at Sainsbury’s. (Quote from The Guardian – 4th March 2015)

Think about portion size – one of the main reasons food is wasted is by cooking too much and then throwing it away. Learn what a normal portion looks like when it is uncooked and only cook what you need.

Use up leftovers - there are lots of fab cookbooks out there for this, and eat leftovers for lunch instead of making sandwiches.

Leave the peel on! - carrots, parsnips and potatoes just need a wash to get the dirt off. The skin adds nutrients and fibre to your meals.