Ways to cut down on food waste

YOU might think that, in a time of recession, people would make an effort not to waste food.

However, almost a third of the food we buy ends up in the bin. That means the innumerable tonnes of waste food goes to landfill sites every day of the week, stuff that could easily be composted or recycled in the home.

The results of national research recently carried out on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) give, pardon the pun, plenty of food for thought. For instance, 51% of Irish people admit throwing out food regularly

Equally alarming is the finding that 30% of food purchased by the average household is binned, costing up to €1,000 per household per year. The EPA has initiated a Stop Food Waste programme with an emphasis on preventing rather than managing waste.

The research involved a survey of 1,100 people and, despite almost all respondents (97%) admitting to being bothered about throwing out food, almost half (45%) of those surveyed are doing little or nothing to prevent it.

Amongst those trying to reverse the situation is chef Rachel Allen who commented that everyone has been guilty of wasting food at some point — all too easily done with busy and demanding schedules. However, with just a bit of extra thought and some forward planning, we could definitely all avoid it, she believed.

The average person throws out almost 300kg of black bin rubbish each year, and about one third of this waste is food waste. This is the equivalent of 3,750 apples.

Research suggests that if we managed to prevent generating some of this waste and also composted and recycled at home we could reduce our rubbish by almost 70%.

Stopping food waste starts at the point at which people buy their groceries and it continues in the home with the storage and cooking of the food, according to Odile Le Bolloch of the EPA, who adds that if people made a list of what they threw out every week they would be amazed at how much they wasted.

The survey also revealed the main foods that are regularly thrown out in Irish homes are fruits and vegetables — apples, bananas, grapes, lettuce, potatoes and carrots. Other foods regularly thrown out include bread and bread rolls, spreads, jams, relishes, sauces, yoghurts, dairy desserts and leftovers.

“This type of food waste can be avoided by either not overpurchasing in the first place, or finding ways of incorporating the over supply into meals or drinks, such as smoothies, in the case of fruit, or soup in the case of vegetables. If you discover you’ve overpurchased on bread you can always freeze it for later use,’ advised Le Bolloch.

Research results showed that large amounts of food are being thrown away due to poor food storage practices. While there is a good understanding of the importance of keeping meat, dairy and food leftovers in the fridge, other foods, such as fruits, jams, jellies and sauces once opened are often left in the cupboards, shelves and fruit bowls which shortens the shelf life.

Almost a third of the people surveyed admitted that they do not research and follow the recommended storage information on packaged goods and subsequently are throwing the food away as it becomes mouldy and stale.

The research also showed that almost half of Irish people (46%) buy more food than needed when shopping. Unsurprisingly, the most common reason for throwing out food is not consuming it before use-by dates. This is further evidence that planning ahead and smart shopping can prevent food waste and save money. The majority of survey respondents (93%) agreed that they would change their shopping habits if it saved them money and if they were equipped with shopping and recipe tips. More than half of Irish people tend to plan ahead and use a shopping list when buying food, but only third of those using a shopping list stick to it.

Most shoppers get distracted by special offers. In fact, 85% of those surveyed said they avail of ‘two for one’ offers on food products. This was described by Le Bolloch as a “common trap” and, as often as not, some of the food bought under such offers is eventually thrown out.

The website, www.stopfoodwaste.ie, provides a wealth of information and tips about how to avoid food waste, and their Facebook link will be regularly updated.

In a nutshell, the gist of the advice is that people should plan their shopping carefully, check their fridges and cupboards before heading off, beware of special deals and to stick their shopping lists if at all possible.