Food Waste Costs £10 Billion, Says Report

A report launched today reveals that consumers are dumping 6.7 million tonnes of food every year in England and Wales.

The Food We Waste report - believed to be the first of its kind in the world - consisted of a detailed survey of households and a physical analysis of their waste.

The study conducted by The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) found that consumers throw away about a third of everything they buy.

The findings state that 4.1 tonnes of waste is avoidable and that one quarter of this is thrown away untouched.

Of all the food that is throw out unused, grapes top the list at 4.8 billion, followed by slices of bread at 2.6 billion and potatoes at 1.9 billion.

According to the survey shoppers spend £10.2 billion every year buying and then throwing away edible food, working out at an average of £420 per household.

Local councils then spend another £1 billion collecting food waste and sending the majority of it to landfill.

The reports warns that the food we throw away needlessly is harmful to the environment and that it is responsible for the equivalent of 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP said: "Food waste has a significant environmental impact. This research confirms that it is an issue for us all, whether as consumers, retailers, local or central Government. I believe it will spark a major debate about the way food is packaged, sold, stored at home, cooked and then collected when it is thrown out.

"What shocked me the most was the cost of our food waste at a time of rising food bills, and generally a tighter pull on our purse strings. It highlights that this is an economic and social issue, as well as about how much we understand the value of our food. Tackling the problem of food waste will be at the heart of WRAP's work over the next three years."

Environment Minister Joan Ruddock commented: "These findings are staggering in their own right, but at a time when global food shortages are in the headlines this kind of wastefulness becomes even more shocking.

"Preventing waste in the first place has to remain a top priority. WRAP's advice on the changes everyone can make to ensure they cut their own waste - and their own bills - makes sense all round."

Julia Falcon of WRAP's campaign, Love Food Hate Waste, added: "This report shows we could all be saving money and time by making better use of our food. We've found there's a real demand for quick and easy ideas and Love Food Hate Waste can help with tips which turn into good habits in the kitchen."

WRAP, established in 2000, helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources to tackle climate change.

(DS)