Cut food waste to save more money

Waste less food and save around £470 a year. That’s the message of the new food waste campaign from the Scottish Government, which is encouraging Scots to reduce the amount of food they waste, and start recycling what they can’t use.

As a nation, we waste one fifth of the food we buy every year – most of which could have been avoided. It’s expensive and it’s bad for our environment. 630,000 tonnes of food and drink is thrown away annually – costing Scots over £1billion and creating harmful greenhouse gases.

This national campaign seeks to demonstrate that by making small changes and reducing the amount of food thrown away – families can save an average of nearly £40 a month and do their bit for the environment.

With more than one million households – that’s over half (53%) of the country – now part of local food waste collection schemes, it also aims to get Scots recycling foods that can’t be used like banana skins, bones and tea bags.

Environment Secretary, Richard Lochhead said:

“If we used up all the food and drink we currently waste, it would cut carbon emissions equal to taking one in four cars off Scotland’s roads. We all waste food without thinking, but by making a few small changes, we can make a big difference to our budgets and the environment. By shopping smarter and wasting less we can save money and help create a greener, cleaner Scotland now and for the future.

“The best thing we can all do is to prevent food waste, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. As well as helping people to reduce food waste, this year’s campaign is encouraging Scots to recycle the food they can’t use, by using food waste collection services which have now been rolled out in more than 50 percent of the country, or by composting at home where these services aren’t available. By reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfill, we’ll be cutting harmful greenhouse gases.”

The new call comes a month after new waste regulation rules came into effect for Scottish businesses making it compulsory for all businesses in Scotland to recycle key materials including food waste.

Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland said:

“We’re seeing a really positive change in attitudes to food waste across the country. We want to continue building on this; raising awareness of the environmental and economic impact of food waste and offering practical advice to help householders waste less and save money.

“Food waste that cannot be used or avoided is easily recycled or composted. Over half of households across the country now have access to food recycling services and councils are continuing to roll these out in towns and cities nationwide. Recycling food waste can also generate renewable energy and be turned into a fertiliser to benefit Scottish farmers.”

For Scots who don’t yet have access to a food waste collection, composting is an easy alternative. There are a number of ways to produce compost and there are methods available to suit all lifestyles – go to greenerscotland.org for all the information you need to get started.

The national Food Waste drive is supported by TV advertising, outdoor, media, press and social media. It will also take to the streets with a national information roadshow visiting towns and cities in every local authority across Scotland. Key partnerships with leading retailers and supermarkets are also being developed.

The Scottish Government has committed to ambitious climate change targets of a 42 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2020 and an 80 per cent reduction by 2050. This includes a ban on food waste, from landfill by the end of 2020, which will help reduce emissions.

For more tips and information on wasting less food, recycling and local food waste collections services in your area go to greenerscotland.org

All stats – Zero Waste Scotland