As you may be aware, there are many reasons why food is wasted in the home, including overbuying, inadequate food storage and cooking oversized portions. Fortunately, with food waste reduction tips and advice from organizations such as WRAP, many of us are beginning to make better choices when it comes to valuing our food, reducing food waste and in turn saving money. In fact according to WRAP there was an estimated 1.1m tonne reduction of food waste between 2006 and 2010.
Great news, I hear you say, but when you consider that 15m tonnes of food is still being wasted per year, with households generating 7.2m tonnes of which 4.4m tonnes is avoidable – it’s clear to see there is still quite a way to go.
However, not all food waste is avoidable and it is inevitable some will go to waste, but how can we ensure we keep it out of landfill?
Unfortunately, there is not a simple, one-fits-all solution to this problem for several reasons:
Firstly, there is still a lack of awareness of the environmental impact of food waste, some believing that as food is biodegradable it is okay for it to go to landfill, whilst others do not fully understand or appreciate the consequences of the harmful emissions created by food waste, methane, and the detrimental effect it has on our environment.
Secondly, there is not always a disposal infrastructure in place to enable householders to make a greener choice. For example, not all UK homes have food waste collected by their local authority, others have concerns that is unhygienic to store food waste, some may not have gardens to compost, whilst not all garden owners wish to compost at all.
Fortunately, for the latter, those with gardens who do not wish or have time to compost, there is an eco-friendly solution to dispose of food waste – namely, The Green Cone.
The Green Cone is an innovative food waste disposal unit. A four-part injection moulded unit, it comprises of a lower basket installed below ground and forming the base for an upper assembly consisting of a black inner cone and a green outer lidded plastic cone.
Sited in a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden, above the water table, the Green Cone will effortlessly digest all cooked and uncooked kitchen food waste, including:
Meat,
Fish,
Bones,
Dairy products,
Vegetables,
Fruit,
Peelings etc.
So how the Green Cone work?
Using the 5 litre Green Cone caddy (which is supplied with the Green Cone) all organic kitchen waste can be collected, then when convenient, emptied into the Green Cone.
The Green Cone’s patented design of the unit utilises a solar heating effect between the inner and outer cones to promote air circulation, which facilitates the growth of beneficial micro-organisms and the desirable aerobic digestion process. The household food waste is converted into water, carbon dioxide and small amount of residue that will only need to be removed every few years in a well operating Green Cone.
That’s it!
So, if you are looking for a solution to dispose of your unavoidable food waste, take a look at the Green Cone and don’t forget to check if your local council will subsidise your Green Cone purchase at www.foodwasteeater.co.uk
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do a meal plan so you only buy the food you need for the weeks meals
give smaller portions, if you want more go back for some.
Exactly – plus if they’re not served up, you’re more likely to save the leftovers for another meal
Only use what you need to do smaller portions than you think you need as can always get more and if is left overs put them in fridge, fry them the next day with some grated potatoe seasoning and herbs and you have a tasty meal
eat everything
Me too … that’s partly the reason why this month, October, I’m focussing on getting fit and shedding a few pounds. I’ll be reviewing an organic detox plan and a de-stress/ sleep better organic aromatherapy spa experience, don’t forget to take a look
I plan every meal so i only buy what i need
That’s great way of reducing waste, does your menu plan vary week to week?
i cook double and freeze half so no wastage
Me too Kim. I love that there’s always a homemade ‘ready’ meal to go!
Smaller portions
Blanche and freeze any vegetables when you have any left overs -:-)
Love it – plus, by doing this, you’ll always have a steady supply of vegetables at hand
don’t eat anything
Don’t overload plates so any leftovers can be reused
smaller portions, also be inventive with leftovers
Only buy what you need from teh supermarket making a list & planing what you will eat for the week reduces the amount of food wastage
Do regular fridge checks and move the food that needs to be eaten first towards the front (to remind you).
Grow your own where possible, it takes so much effort so I can’t stand to waste anything. Plan what you will eat and when then you shop accordingly – boring I know, but it works!
Write a shopping list and stick to it!
Buy less!
Grow your own!
If you happen to over cook, either freeze or use it as a stir fry or soup for the next day or so. Food ALWAYS taste better a day after!
Especially chilli
Great tips Elisha
Plan your meals, and why not freeze your leftovers or eat them for your dinner the next day? almost anything can go into an omelet or pasta sauce or cheese grill. Any stale bread can be made into breadcrumbs and frozen. Leftover fat from cooking can be left for the birds rather than landfill (just save an old margarine tub and fill it) and if you have sandwich meat or cut fat bits from sandwich meat they will eat those too.
Wonderful advice Ellie and with winter around the corner (boo!), we need to start thinking of our feathered friends too. If you are a bird-lover, you might like to have a go at making your own upcycled teacup bird feeder – here’s my step by step guide http://www.lyndseyyoung.co.uk/time-for-tea-–-make-your-own-upcycled-teacup-bird-feeder/
WE SHOP ONLINE TO STOP IMPULSE BUYING & STICK T A MEAL PLAN
Don’t cook so much food
Buy long life goods in bulk and fruit/veg etc on a day to day basis when you need it xx
Fab tip – the added bonus of doing this is that you cut down on packaging waste too!
Measure out quantities when cooking so I don’t cook too much or if I do too much I will then freeze it, also keep on top of food in the fridge by using things first that aren’t as fresh to save waste
Think about ways to use food that is a little past its best. Soft, wrinkly veg roasts well, and is great for cooking up and freezing for stew or soup bases.
Freeze leftovers
Oh yes … and don’t forget to date label http://www.lyndseyyoung.co.uk/count-on-it-labels/
Could do with one of these!
Cook what you need
Use all of the vegetable, not just the bulk of the body. Leaves and roots can be tasty too.
Absolutely – great advice Francesca
We hardly have any food waste, my teenage kids are like hoovers, they eat everything.
Only buy what you know you are going to use.
make soup with any veg that you have left that may not use in time
Love this tip – soup is such a great way to reduce waste whilst being a healthy, convenient meal.
My tip is to think carefully about whether you’ll use it in time when shopping and be aware of use by dates.
Adding to this, if food is nearing it’s use by date, pop it in the freezer so it can be used at a later date.
Don’t be over cautious on best before dates it’s only guide and if not dairy or meat can be used a few days after !
always plan your meals ahead
Don’t get sucked into buy 1 get 1 free or other multi deals if you aren’t going to use the extra food. It’s just something extra to throw out unless you really need the whole lot.
Or you could just freeze the ‘get one free’ for another time.
Freeze left overs x
Buy fresh food daily
use leftovers instead of composting or throwing away
Don’t cook too much in the first place.
Plan your weekly meals and buy appropriately and save and freeze any leftovers if you can
Great tips Jo – also, don’t forget to date label your leftovers, my Count On It labels are perfect for this! http://www.lyndseyyoung.co.uk/count-on-it-labels/
shop with a friend and share the bogofs
only prepare the right amount of food you need, don’t use more than you need.
Only cook what you need!
buy only what you need
Don’t buy more than you are going to use. Use what you have before you buy more.
It’s Simple .. cook less. If you only cook in portion sizes that your family will eat, then there will be no waste. If you over cook – then freeze your extras for another meal. The only waste you should have is veg peelings and recycle packaging.
I always keep a list of what’s in my freezer to avoid buying unecessary food and it’s great for making sure I use things up and for planning meals for the week ahead.
Being single I cook 3 to 4 portions and freeze 2 portions and use the other 2 over 2 days – eg mince, tomato, veg and then make the portion into either as it is or spag bol or chille concarne to vary the meals – by doing this I save on having to throw things out but also on electric & gas because it just needs reheating if you thaw from the freezer so planning is important
Great tips Spencer – saving energy when cooking is SO important these days – especially as further fuel price increases are on the way!
Prepare the correct portions!
Check the fridge, freezer and cupboard stock prior to meal planning, making a shopping list and doing the shopping trip.
Have leftovers for lunch the next day
always meal plan and always check back freezer before reshopping kids are great at saying thes nowt to eat arghhh
Separate and freeze xx
When we have leftover food from a meal, we either freeze it in one or two meal portions or make soup with it. Our favourite is Christmas Dinner soup! So none of that goes into landfill
Christmas Dinner soup – I like the sound of that!
nice prize
Keep any vegetable scraps for your rabbits/guinea pigs, or a friends.
Always make a meal plan and know the best way to store your food.
Try and use up things you have in the fridge, chicken can be made into sandwiches, dry bread can be made into puddings – You can make meals out of leftover veggies too – Bubble and squeak!
It’s about thinking outside the box and you can almost always use your leftovers to make a new meal
only buy what you need
Freeze your food for later, it lasts longer!
wrap up leftovers in foil and save for the next day as breakfast (if its pudding as a treat!) or lunch if it’s savoury
xxxx
use smaller portions
Only buy the food you need by taking a shopping list with you!
don’t cook to much
To buy in bulk and freeze into smaller portion so nothing to waste.
Before freezing separate meats into useable amounts so you only use what you need
Great advice above! We shop at a low cost supermarket, Aldi. They tend to have quality food and lots of cheap fruit and veg. They also do not stock frilly items, so you are not tempted with things that are pointless and a waste of cash! When I make a roast lunch I always do one extra dinner for my husband to have the next day with the surplus food!
Thanks Ailie – yes I’m an Aldi convert too. I think their fresh produce is not only better value for money, it’s of a superior quality than that which I find in my other local supermarkets, though not as tasty as my homegrown of course! Great tips about the extra dinner, Sunday lunch is great on any day of the week
Keep an eye on your fridge and use all the food you buy.
plan out the weeks meals and only buy what you need. i find that nothing gets wasted then
We have lots of fresh food waste. Everyday I use fresh veg etc. Some waste goes for stock and the rest to the wormery
Freeze as much of the leftovers as possible. Don’t buy huge bags of salad, etc that will go off.
Meal Plan – saves money and food wastage. And then approx once every 6-8 weeks I try to miss a shop at the supermarket and just eat out the fridge/freezer. This forces me to eat up those little bits
Get a dog – we have hardly any waste
feed scraps to the dog x
Only buy what u need, freeze any left overs if possible
My tip for reducing food waste is to keep your eye on sell by and use by dates and make sure you knowl you’ll be able to eat food before it goes off
Never cook more than you need.
Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer to use them up.
Freeze leftovers
Smaller portions and stick to your shopping list
I juice any fruit that’s gone just past it’s best and freeze it.
use leftovers for lunch next day
I always freeze what leftovers I can
Don’t get tempted by Buy one Get one free offers
Thanks for your comments Bobbie, however I must admit I love BOGOF offers, especially on frozen or fresh produce which I can pop straight in my freezer. In doing so I make a cost saving PLUS I’ve always got a stock of food at hand which means I can leave shopping for another week.
Freeze portions you don’t use
… and don’t forget to label them – here are my own labels which are ideal for use in the freezer. http://www.lyndseyyoung.co.uk/count-on-it-labels/
Prepare a weekly meal plan, looking in the fridge, freezer and cupboards before you prepare your shopping list. Buy only what’s onthe hopping list and stick to the meals that were planned – saves money and waste!
I buy things in bulk to save money then freeze them in portion sizes so only take out what I need when I need it
Me too Nicki – that’s why I’m not anti BOGOF offers – I often make great savings on my grocery bill with them.
Making the most of leftovers with meal planning
Freeze any left over food if it can be frozen
smaller portions
Plan your meals and write a shopping list.
Ensure you freeze things you cannot cook a day before their use by date. Plus the more full your freezer the less it costs to run!
Great tips Alex, freezers are often underused, yet they are possibly the most useful kitchen appliance to help reduce unnecessary food waste.
use leftovers…most people’s fav meals where originally meant to be ways of using leftovers – lasagne, pizza, pie – shepherds, cottage or pastry; soups mmmm hungry now….leftovers….
We have a child with Autism and so we waste alot of food we have a compost heap and we are going to buy a wormery after xmas, but this would be perfect for us.
Plan meals well in advance, stock up on small or medium freezer bags for leftovers (including slate bread for breadcrumbs etc.) and be creative with leftovers. Experimenting can be such fun when cooking!
My tip would be to grow your own fruit and veg if possible. Pick what you need and the rest can be left to grow still. If you end up with quite a bit of stuff then make chutneys/jams/pickles with it
Buy fresh food on the day you intend to cook it
Look for what ingredients you have and enter them onto a recipe website such as Supercook (http://www.supercook.com/)
choose what type of recipe you want and then choose one from what it offers. Food saving and new recipes, a win win situation.
Eat it all! Anything left over, put in a big pot, liquidise or mash it when cooked and make a soup with a few haricot beans – lovely. Compost what is not edible.
Freeze any leftovers.
Make your own meals, Go past the eat by dates, freeze what you don’t use, Have eat what’s in the freezer days,
Make veg stock with what’s left over veg at the end of the week.
Thanks for your tips Stewart – I like the ‘eat what’s in the freezer day’ idea – guaranteed to rescue those UFO’s (Unidentified Frozen Objects) lurking in the back of the freezer
Cook everything fresh and just the right portion sizes. Always use leftovers, I love bubble and squeak.
I love bubble and squeak too – especially with a little brown sauce
use the left over food for another meal or freeze it
freeze any spare portions or wtick them in a soup/stew x
When I make too much I always freeze what can be freezed in seperate portions and re heated at a later date. its useful when I am at work and my husband is at home with the kids he can just ask the kids what they want for tea and he can reheat them. that way if they pick what they like I know there is never gonna be any wastage or not much
Great idea Zoe and of course, by only re-heating you can save more money on your energy bills.
Eat it all xx
Buy only what you need.
Read up on portion sizes and try and stick to them, helps reduce waist and waste
Simple. Only buy what you can eat.
Great prize!
Check your fridge and cupboards before menu planning and be creative with what you find in there! x
Yes indeed – sometimes a little creative cooking can be the tastiest!
Plan your meals and only buy what you need
Plan your meals before you go shopping and only get what you need
shop regularly for fresh food and finish what’s in the fridge before buying more
Make meals from left overs!
serve smaller portions and freeze leftovers
Exactly – plus if they’re not served up, you’re more likely to save the leftovers for another meal
Make meals from scratch and design the meals that any leftovers can be safely frozen for use later as leftovers.
Work out the meals you are going to make a week in advance and only buy the ingredients needed for those
Meal planning, before you go shopping, plan what you’re going to cook for the family the following week. Write your list at the same time. It does work
Very good tip Jo, this would also work well with online shopping – as long as your not tempted by the special offers!
Cook what you need, rather than what you don’t! for one it save’s you money, saves your waist line and can fill your freezer if you cook from scratch!!!! very beneficial
Use stale bread to make croutons, cutting into squares, sprinkling with olive oil and placing in the oven after cooking a meal (or on a low heat if not cooking) until crunchy. They store in a sealed container for ages and make salad left overs (and soup made from leftovers) into a treat.
Ooh, sounds lovely!
Make casseroles and stews enough for 2 days, that way saves waste and money too.
great idea, plus it saves unnecessary trips to the food shops.
do not buy too much fresh food in advance
Do not buy supermarket bargains, buy only what you need
If you are a parent, eat after your children as they often leave food so you dont have to cook as much
Ha, I like it!
A wellkept freezer diary so you know exactly what you have and were it is.
Now that is organised Christopher, does everyone update the diary?
i sed to have one of these marvelous thingamies but my landlord knicked it i would love to win another one
Oh no, that’s a shame – fingers crossed!
Invite the family round and cook for them in one oven ! Saving energy. You will need less heating on with the warmth generated by a group. Your guests can turn their heating, lights etc. off while they are out. Buying in larger quantities is usually cheaper just be careful to cook only the amount you need!
I love it Lynn – AND if there are leftovers, everyone can take some home, giving them a ‘ready meal’ for another day.
I don’t tend to overdo the portions, that way there are no left overs.
Feed leftovers to dog
Eat it all
Have a pet dog! It eats nearly everything!
I’ve not got a dog – yet, however my chickens do a pretty good job of scoffing leftovers
Plan what the family are eating so you only buy what you need.
plan my weekly meals
Get a dog!
plan meals before shopping
Est it.
I try to shop little and often – doesnt work for everyone, but if you have to pass a Supermarket each day then it’s easy to just buy a little at a time.
Good point Deborah, like you say, it’s great if you’re regularly in the vicinity of a store, but if you have to travel each time, having bigger ‘shops’ less often would work better.
Making lists of meals for the week and sticking to the list
plan meals
batch cook and freeze extra portions
Plan meals in advance and freeze leftovers.
Don’t buy so much in the first place
Plan your meals for the week so you only buy what you need and whatever is left in your fridge at the end of the week chuck in a stew!
Lovely tip Sharon and on night’s like these, a stew’s just what the doctor ordered
i freeze alot of my foods so they dont get wasted
Do a meal plan to save any wastage of food.
Have a greedy husband!
Ha ha Kirsty, I take it your husband hasn’t seen your tip on here
plan meals
All in the planning of the shopping and meal sizes
a combination of meal planning, which means you shop to the menu and smaller portions
i do my shopping daily or every second day everything always gets used
smaller portions or left over the day after
I meal plan for the week and so only buy what I need. It reduces cost and waste
We always eat our left overs, saves, waste, money and time cooking another meal x
we always make another meal with anything left over, the thing we usually have too much of is chicken on a sunday after a roast, but it makes a yummy chicken and mayo sandwich at the nighttime
we never waste food any leftovers are fed to our rescued chickens
Brilliant Debbie and ‘hello’ fellow rescued chicken owner – how many chicks have you got?
Plan my meals for the in advance and only buy what I need.
Make use of the freezer
Yes – absolutely!
When we have a chicken, we get 2 roast dinners each,out of then more for sandwiches and finally boil up the carcass for stock and make chicken soup with loads of veggies, eat some and freeze the rest for quick lunches! The only problem I’ve always had is what to do with the carcass when I’ve finished but this would solve that problem!
Wow Lorna – that should be the official blueprint for getting the most out of a meal – I’m seriously impressed!
Following on Twitter as @arranmum
Prepare meals in larger amounts so that the excess can be portioned up and frozen to be eaten at a later date.
Great tip – don’t forget to label those storage tubs and bags!
any leftovers to be used, put to front of fridge and check before cooking a meal
To cut down on Food waste I have recently started to plan my meals in advance
Fantastic Nicola, is the menu planning working, have you noticed a reduction in food waste and saving in money yet?
Buy only what you will use. The best way to do this is to shop two or three times a week instead of one big shop/
take leftovers to work as part of a packed lunch
Fab idea Rhian, it’s tastier, cheaper and ready when you are
Meal plan and not overshop
shop carefully
Use old takeaway plastic tubs to make up a meal with the left overs and freeze, you can then use these individual meals for work.
Great idea Amanda – plus you get a ‘free’ lunch meal and save time by avoiding the ‘dash out to grab a bite to eat’ routine
Plan meals and freeze leftovers for another day
Meal plan and not to over make too much food.
Make things that you can transform the leftovers into new dishes
Great tip – what’s your favourite ‘leftover’ dish Marco?
I plan every meal so not to be wasteful.
I always go to the supermarket with a list of meals I want to make for that week, so by purchsing only the ingredients I need for each meal, it ensures that no waste occurs. When I buy fresh fruit and veg, bread, cheese, ham and other perishables, I always buy the items with the longest sell-by date, as this ensures that there is a far greater chance of the item being fully used before it runs out of date and has to be thrown away!
Only buy what I need… don’t get seduced by supermarket buy one get ten free offers!!
I plan the weekly meals so i know exactly what to buy, any leftovers i freeze. If we have chicken i always use the carcass to make stock. Nothing wasted if i can help it.
Menu planning, leftovers, freezer and stock making – that’s a food waste reduction ‘full house’ !
I plan our family meals and buy the ingredients on a weekly basis. By the end of the week the fridge is bare and if there is anything left – it goes on to be used for the next lot of meals
That’s great Sarah, menu planning certainly is one of the top tips for reducing food waste.
Prepare meals in advance and freeze them
Any leftover meat, rice,vegetables in our household are fed to our dog. Makes us happy (we can cut back on the dog food costs) and her too!
Excellent – I do a similar thing with my chickens – everyone’s a winner
Lots of ways, do meal plans and get only what is needed for those meals, even if it means making more trips to a shop rather than trying to get it all in and getting too much. Another way is to serve up smaller amounts on the plate, if still hungry then go back for some more, that way, whatever is left can be put in the fridge or freezer. When cooking, especially if on your own, cook a larger amount, and freeze it in portions, that way a portion can be taken out when decided that will be for tea, and with cooking it in 1 go, there’s less waste in cooking and preparing it. My final thing is to never go food shopping hungry as you will want more things, things you don’t truly want or need.
By recycling as much as I possibly can!! Washing out jars, milk cartons etc. may seem tedious but its worth it in the end!! Also I’m a student & I try to print as little as I can & use electronic forms of reading such as the iPad!!
That’s a fab effort Catharine, plus by minimising your printing etc, you can make quite a cost saving on print cartridges and paper.
Try and always cook an appropriate amount and have an idea for leftovers before you cook!!
Dont make so much and if possible freeze left overs, plus having a meal plan always help then you only buy wants needed, saves throwing food that hasnt been used an has eg: gone off in the fridge
Buy only what you need locally rather than big packets where half the pack ends up wasted
Yes, I love buying locally and supporting my neighbourhood businesses, plus it saves on fuel too!
Smaller portions of food so you waste…… or have a human garbage disposal unit for a husband like I do!
Great tip Thea, p.s. does your husband know that’s what you call him?
Batch cook, freeze extra and use what is in your fridge before making more!
Don’t buy so much, buy it as you go along if near a local shop, you will prob spend half the money as you won’t impulse buy as we all do in the big supermarkets!
always check your cupboards, fridge and freezer before going shopping. If you haven;t used something you bought last week – don;t buy it again this week!
Cook only what you need!
make menu plans and waste can go on compost heap
Grow your own!
Make food in large batches and freeze in smaller portions to be used on other occasions
Check what foodstuffs need using up first and meal plan around those items – freeze any leftovers however small as you can always use them in soups, stews, curries, etc.
Freeze leftovers and to make sure that they are not chucked way and wasted have a left overs day/week and try and use up the meals in your freezer and perk up the meals with fresh veg/salad/sauces.
feed scraps (that are safe to feed to the dog) to the dog!
Mix all left over veg and meat in tomato sauce and pasta rather than throw away
Store food in the fridge in order of expiry date to make sure you use the most short-dated stuff first.
Eat Everything
freeze food as not to go waste money on more x
Plan your meals
My 2 dogs are great waste disposal units!
If you want to buy BOGOF’s and special offers club together with family members and share them. You all benefit money-wise and should reduce food waste too.
eat everything, so no need to waste!
I turn left over veg and meat from Sunday roast into a soup/stew for Monday and if any left after that it gets blitzed and frozen to be used as a basis for gravies or lunches for work
Make sure I eat everything
I shop little and often, so I only buy what I need for that day or so.
We hardly have any food waste, I make a large pan of soup every week and put in any any veg that needs using or as a base for a pasta, then freeze portion sizes. Leftovers can be used in soups and omlettes or frozen. Leftover fruit is used in cakes or puddings and we put peelings into our compost bin.
Look for recipies to use up all leftovers – Be creative !