Food has a massive impact on the earth due to the amount of energy it takes to produce, store and transport it. The problem is also worsened when food is wasted and thrown away- it is causing a climate emergency.
In total, a staggering 6.6 million tonnes of food waste comes from our homes each year in the UK, at a cost of £14 billion. Of that, 4.5 million tonnes is food that could have been eaten.
Here we share some facts about how much food is being wasted and which types of food, tips to help reduce the amount of food you throw away and information on how to recycle some of your food waste yourselves by composting at home!
This activity can be used to demonstrate that not all food thrown away is rotten and past its use by date. Often people just buy too much or don’t store food correctly. This all adds up to huge amounts being thrown away which is such a waste!
Download the activity cards to start the discussion about which food type does your group think gets thrown away the most- the answers may surprise you.
The teacher notes will help you with how to facilitate the activity and highlight important discussion points to raise.
In this video, our Education Officer, Jess, explains how storing your food properly, planning your weekly shop and checking the temperature of you fridge and freezer can all reduce the amount of food you throw away.
In this video, our Education Officer, Janine, explains how to set up a home compost bin as another way to recycle your food waste.
