Eating and drinking

Food waste costs UK consumers £10.2bn a year and is responsible for 5% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.

Shocking isn’t it? Thankfully it’s easy to cut down on food waste and the benefits are significant – for your health, your wallet and for the environment.

Pack a Zero Waste Lunch

Bring your lunch to work in a reusable container. It’s good for your wallet and your waistline and it helps to cut down on the mountain of food packaging we produce every year.

• Bring your own thermos instead of cartons and cans.
• Use reusable cutlery.
• Say No to Unwanted Bags and paper napkins.

Make just enough

With a bit of careful planning you can cut back on your food waste significantly. Make a list and take it with you when you go shopping. The Love Food Hate Waste website has some excellent tools to help you plan, shop and save up to £50 a month.

Go local

Local food doesn't have to travel very far to get to your table. This means it wastes less fuel, energy and packaging. Try looking for food that has been grown near where you live and support your local market.

The whole world’s a garden

Whether you live in the city or out in the sticks you may be surprised at the amount of food that’s just waiting to be discovered. Organisations like the Wild Food School offer a free Urban Foraging Guide for those keen to discover what edible delights are growing wild in their town or city.

Compost your leftovers

Composting leftovers diverts food waste from landfill, keeps rotting food out of your kitchen bin and gives you a great supply of soil to grow plants and other food. Contact your local council to see if they operate a food waste collection or invest in a compost bin for your back garden.

If you don’t have a garden you can still compost your kitchen waste by using a wormery or bokashi bucket. This will turn your leftovers into nourishing soil conditioner.

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