Since the launch of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign in 2007, research shows that 1.8 million more UK households are now taking steps to cut back on the amount of food they throw away, resulting in an overall saving of £296 million a year, stopping 137,000 tonnes of food being thrown away. This prevents 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases being emitted, which is the same carbon impact as taking 100,000 return flights to Australia out of the skies.
The campaign was set up after research found that 6.7 million tonnes of food is thrown away from UK homes each year - a third of the food we buy. The cost to consumers of wasted food is £10 billion a year Love Food Hate Waste’s role is to provide practical help to cut back on this waste. Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP, said she was encouraged by the impact the Love Food Hate Waste campaign has been making: "At a time when every penny counts, saving nearly £300 million is a great achievement for hard pressed consumers. Food which ends up in landfill produces damaging greenhouse gases and is a terrible waste of resources. We're delighted that the Love Food Hate Waste campaign is helping individual households enjoy more of their food, help the environment and save money." She continued "We recognise that although the results of the first year are encouraging, there is much more to do, and we're confident we can continue to support the growing number of households cutting back this waste." The campaign has been promoting practical advice and tips to help people make the most of the food they are buying, and waste less of it. WRAP's tracker research* has identified some key reasons why households feel they are cutting back on waste, including: Becoming better at planning meals so that food isn't wasted (37%)
Becoming better at using up food that is already in the fridge or cupboard before buying new food (31%)
Becoming better at measuring the correct portion sizes so that we don't cook too much (22%)
Becoming better at using our freezers (20%)
The worsening economic conditions are increasingly encouraging us to shop more carefully and cut back on waste, with 60% of homes reporting these pressures affecting them. But interestingly WRAP's research also shows that 84% of us still feel we don't waste significant amounts of food - therefore the campaign's aim is to continue to raise awareness of the issue, alongside the personal benefits of wasting less food. Love Food Hate Waste is part of WRAP's food waste work to reduce household and commercial food waste. The campaign works closely with Local Authorities and partners such as the supermarkets and major brands within the Courtauld Commitment, who are committed to helping their customers waste less food, and cut back food waste in the production and supply chain. For practical advice on how to reduce food waste please visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
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