A call to action from the government has prompted UK’s major supermarkets and more than 100 of the biggest food companies to sign a pledge to drive down food waste.
Companies have signed a pledge to help halve food waste by 2030 and raise public awareness through a week of action.
Food waste has become a significant topic throughout the past year as growing concerns over the environment remain.
Alone in the UK, 10.2 million tonnes of food is wasted per year which equates to £26 billion that’s thrown straight into the bin. Breaking that down, 1 million tonnes come from the hospitality sector, 1.8 million tonnes from food manufacturers, 260,000 from retail and the remaining from households.
According to a report by Zero Waste Scotland, food waste is a bigger cause of climate change than plastic. Food waste collected from Scottish households was nearly three times that of plastic waste collected from people’s homes.
Less than 1/3 of Brits are concerned about the amount of food they waste and only 40% worry about the environmental impact it has. The majority of food wasted from households is due to lack of meal preparation and cooking more than the recommended portion sizes. Additionally, over 1/3 of households have forgotten what they’ve bought in their weekly shop.
Reseal-it® has many positive attributes that can help reduce food waste. Reseal-it® is an innovative labelling system that can be opened and closed up to 25 times and helps keep food fresher for longer e.g fruit and vegetables that don’t have the same shelf life as other foods.
Additionally, Reseal-it® eliminates the need to repack foods in film, foil or plastic containers making it safer for the environment while reducing food waste at the same time.
For more information about Reseal-it®, click here.
References:
UK supermarkets sign government pledge to help halve food waste: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-supermarkets-sign-government-pledge-to-help-halve-food-waste
Scotland’s food waste causing more greenhouse gas than plastic: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48257019
False assumptions on food waste, plastics and packaging: https://www.plasticstoday.com/packaging/false-assumptions-on-food-waste-plastics-and-packaging/150947770758909
Stop Food Waste Day: Brits throw away £494 million worth of food each week: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/stop-food-waste-day/63786/