Eastleigh shoppers are being urged to cut down on the amount of food they waste
Food Waste Action Week runs from March 17 to March 23.
Eastleigh shoppers are being urged to cut down on the amount of food they waste as part of Food Waste Action Week which runs from March 17 to March 23.
The annual campaign has been running since 2021 and connects local businesses, government organisations and global partners to increase awareness amongst citizens about the devastating impact that food waste is having on the planet.
The Recycling Team from Eastleigh Borough Council will be at Tesco Bursledon between 10am and 1pm on March 19 handing out free biodegradable food waste liners and food waste containers.
Campaigners want to get more and more people across the UK and Eastleigh talking about why buying loose fruit and vegetables is better.
Research shows that selling items loose (unpackaged), so that people can buy just the amount they need, is an effective way to reduce household food waste.
If all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose, 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be saved every year.
- The success of Food Waste Action Week is largely down to the amazing support from partners – retailers, manufacturers, governments, local authorities, non government organisations and community organisations – all working together with us, with the aim of reducing household food waste.
- The UK wastes almost 10 million tonnes of food every year. Almost 2 million tonnes come from the food industry, and currently less than 1% is recycled for human consumption.
- 4 million people in the UK are struggling to eat.
- 65% of UK adults admit to buying too much food that ends up being thrown away. It is estimated that 1 in every 5 shopping bags is fully wasted!
- One of the most commonly wasted foods in the UK are potatoes; 5.8 million whole potatoes
- Right at the top of the food waste chain is bread, too. Britons waste almost 900,000 tonnes of bread every year – an incredible 24 million slices every day.
We know not all food waste can be avoided, and this is the reason why over 15 years ago Eastleigh Borough Council was at the forefront of recycling, by putting in place a weekly food waste collection across the Borough.
Unavoidable food waste (tea bags, coffee grounds, bones, meat, rice, pasta, bread, dairy, pastries, fruit, vegetables, fish, leftover food from meals) can be disposed of by residents using their caddies and collections bins.
This weekly collection diverts this food waste to processing which provides green energy and natural soil fertilizer.
- 2215 tonnes of food waste was collected over last year which equates to 664500 kwh of electricity to power 7.3 million kettles of water.