Issues of packaging, food waste and sustainable practices are complex. At Good Food, we are trying to find realistic solutions to the problem of food waste and packaging generated by our test kitchen and members of the team are taking on green challenges at home.
Find out the main things we've learned with some realistic suggestions for how you can reduce your own household food waste. If you only do one thing – try not to buy too much, and when you choose produce, don't overlook the wonky fruit and veg. We've also got plenty of ideas for how to use your leftovers.
Where food is wasted
- Misshapen, marked, discoloured or oddly sized fruit and vegetables that don’t meet the standards of the marketplace (up to 20-40%) are thrown away before even leaving the farm.
- Some food goes off when transported.
- Offcuts and foods past their use-by dates are binned by both retailers and by us at home. (In developed countries, this kind of waste is the greatest proportion of food lost.)
- Cooked, uneaten food is binned.
Top 5 ways to cut down on food waste
- Don't over buy. Keep track of what you've bought and used. WRAP suggests taking a 'shelfie' – a photo of your fridge and cupboards to remind you of what's there.
- Check the use-by dates of fresh food when you buy it. These are the dates to take notice of, rather than the best-before dates. Only buy what you can use before it expires.
- Plan ahead. Think about what you're going to cook and how you'll use the leftovers.
- Get to know your grocer. They will have plenty of advice on how to use up leftover veg.
- Love your freezer. Use your weekends to batch-cook and freeze. There are plenty of freezing tips in our guide.