A hard amount to swallow
Each household in Warwickshire is currently throwing away an average of £420 a year in wasted food.
The shocking revelation was made today to the Warwickshire Waste Partnership by the national waste champions WRAP.
Warwickshire County Council and the waste partnership are supporting WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign from April for the next year in an attempt to get local people to think about the food they are throwing in the bin.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Chairman of the partnership and the county council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “I’m truly shocked by these figures. Perhaps being a farmer and being used to scraping the mould off the bread I didn’t realise the extent of the waste.
“What I like about this campaign though is it isn’t nannying people and telling them what they should do. It’s just offering simple advice that could save a fortune on food bills.
“Advice as simple as making a shopping list so that you know what you are buying, and shopping the meals, rather than just putting lots of nice ingredients in the trolley and not having a clue what to do with them all.”
Nationally the UK is throwing away the equivalent of £10.2 billion worth of unwanted fruit, vegetables and other food each year.
Most fruit and vegetables keep longer at lower temperatures. For example, oranges and pears will last up to two weeks longer if kept in the fridge. While some bulky vegetables such as potatoes and onions can be stored in a cool dark area and refrigeration is not necessary.
Over the next 12 months Warwickshire County Council, with the support of Warwickshire Waste Partnership, will be holding a series of events, promotions and activities to raise awareness on food waste, and what can be done to reduce it.
More information and recipe ideas can be found by visiting http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
For more information on the campaign please contact the Waste Minimisation Team on 01926 412458 or visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recyclewarks or http://www.wrap.org.uk