Challenge Shows Way Forward as Food Waste Falls

There was a big fall in food waste amongst more than 100 residents who took part in the seventh annual Dacorum Love Food, Hate Waste challenge in November.

The average reduction in food waste within the participating households over the month-long challenge was around 40 per cent and, in a year in which the need to tackle climate change and the increasing cost of living pressures have frequently been headline news around the world, the challenge to reduce household food waste is more necessary than ever to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving money for residents.

Overall in the UK, 70 per cent of food waste comes from people’s homes at a cost of around £14 billion a year, and with 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions the outcome.

Of those taking part in the challenge, more than 90 per cent said that it helped them to reduce food waste within their home, with participants completing a food waste diary so progress was measured. During the challenge, each of the participating 50 households received two emails every week – one explaining a behaviour on which to focus (such as freezing leftovers and portion planning), and the other highlighting commonly wasted foods (such as bananas and milk), with recipes suggested to inspire people with ways each food can be best used. The guidance was well received – more than 92 per cent of those surveyed after the challenge said they will pass their new knowledge on to family and friends.

One participant made soup from peelings, creating at least 12 lunches and saving more than £30 for the month in the process, with the challenge accounting for around a £50 drop in their food costs overall.

Those that completed both the pre-challenge and post-challenge surveys were entered into a prize draw – the lucky winner was Aleksandra Marut (pictured) who claimed a food blender, which will help her to further lower the amount of food wasted from her household.

Aleksandra said: ‘Taking part in the challenge was very useful because I learned how to reduce food waste in simple steps. I would recommend the challenge to anyone.’

There are simple ways to economise while also cutting down food waste – a simple meal plan and using a portion planner can make a huge difference.

If you are interested in signing up for the next Love Food, Hate Waste challenge, email recycle@dacorum.gov.uk to register your interest.