Proudly supported by Worcestershire County Council, this year’s Food Waste Action Week is taking place from 17 – 23 March.
Food Waste Action Week, spearheaded by Waste and Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) Love Food Hate Waste initiative, is an important annual campaign designed to equip households with practical tips to reduce food waste.
This year, the campaign highlights the significant impact of purchasing loose fruit and vegetables – an approach that empowers consumers to buy only what they need, saving both money and the environment.
With household food waste costing families an average of £1,000 annually, this initiative aims to encourage shoppers to rethink their habits by opting for loose produce.
Research conducted by WRAP reveals that eliminating unnecessary packaging on uncut fresh fruit and vegetables could drastically cut down on food waste while reducing plastic consumption.
Councillor Emma Stokes, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Worcestershire County Council said: “We are delighted to support Food Waste Action Week once again. In Worcestershire, food makes up 35% of the average black bin’s contents, and alarmingly, 42% of that is still in its original packaging.
“This suggests that people are discarding food simply because they bought too much or didn’t use it in time. Buying loose fruit and vegetables not only allows consumers to purchase just what they need but also helps cut down on unnecessary plastic waste.”
Jackie Bailey, Senior Campaign Manager for Love Food Hate Waste, echoed this saying, “We know buying loose fruit and veg has the potential to significantly cut the amount of food ending up in the bin, now is the time for retailers and shoppers to make that a reality.
“Increasing loose fruit and veg offerings in store will not only reduce hard to recycle plastics, but it will also enable shoppers to buy closer to their needs, slashing waste and stopping tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions.”
As part of this effort, WRAP has proposed a packaging ban on 21 fruit and vegetable items, which is currently under consultation with industry stakeholders.
If adopted, this change has the potential to prevent approximately 100,000 tonnes of edible produce from going to waste each year while eliminating 13,000 tonnes of plastic film.
Visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for more information.
