Reduce your food waste
Food is fantastic. But, perhaps because it’s quite so appealing, we often overestimate how much we actually need to buy. The result? A massive chicken curry that never gets finished. A BOGOF offer on hot cross buns that nourishes a mould culture more than it feeds you. A sack of potatoes that are starting their own farm.
Although UK households have hugely reduced how much food and drink they waste in recent years, we still throw away an average of £500 worth of food every year. Make the pledge to reduce that waste - we'll send you a few tips to help you along the way.
Waste
Worldwide 30% of food is wasted and this waste is responsible for 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions1. If we take action by shifting the way we consume, how we cook, and advocate for more sustainable agricultural practices, we can change this.
Money
A bargain is only a bargain if you need it, as Mum always says. The ‘3 for £5’ special offer on the strawberries is no good if the berries are going to end up forgotten and rotten. Spending money on something you'll never use is pretty pointless.
Climate change
When we throw food away, all the energy that went into growing, producing and transporting it goes to waste too. Moreover, rotting organic waste on landfill sites produces the greenhouse gas methane, which is even more potent than CO2.
If food waste (across the supply chain) was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China. When it comes to the food waste created by households in the UK, we create the equivalent of about 21 million tons CO2.
Water
Water is a precious resource used throughout the food production process. Each person throws away the equivalent of 280 litres of water a day with the food they bin.2 That's double the amount of water the average household uses every day.
Global Goals
In September 2017, an historic agreement was signed by UN member nations agreeing to work towards 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development by 2030, otherwise known as the SDGs.
Achieving these ambitious goals will require action from governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals alike. We can - and must - all play our part.
By making the 'Eat up' pledge, you are contributing to the following SDG targets:
12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Success Stories
4,098
Pledges
in total
248,907kg
CO2
pledged
Images
Header image credit: Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels