by Anne MacLennan
Food loss happens from on-farm production through to processing. Food waste is what retailers and consumers throw out. Food loss and waste (FLW) depletes natural resources, contributes to climate change and hampers food security.
About a fifth of global food production is lost or wasted while 29% of Earth’s population is moderately or severely food insecure, i.e. doesn’t have enough to eat.
Photo: Trashed vegetables in Luxembourg. Source: Trashwiki
Last year, Zero Waste Scotland reported the carbon impact of our overall household waste as 5.9 million tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), with food waste making up 18% by weight, but 30% of the carbon impact. That’s getting on for half (45%) of fruit and vegetables, a third of seafood and 20% of dairy products. That’s a lot of money wasted too!
There are lots of tips online to help avoid waste at home eg LoveFoodHateWaste. Local food is often less wasteful as it is usually fresher than in supermarkets and it doesn’t have to be packaged to travel so far.
8 tips to reduce food waste at home
- Organise your kitchen with new stuff at the back and move the older stuff to the front
- Know the foods that go off first
- Develop simple hacks for portion sizes so you don’t cook too much food
- Plan meals ahead and use the plan to make your shopping list
- Get creative about using left overs in new ways
- Freeze what you can’t eat
- Learn how to compost food waste at home
- Keep your fridge at 5 degrees C or below