Horsham District Council is supporting national Food Waste Action Week which takes place this week (7 to 13 March) 2022.
The aim of Food Waste Action Week is to create lasting change that helps to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste by 2030.
Around a third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted and it’s having a real impact on climate change, contributing 8–10% of total man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Commenting on the issue of food waste, Cllr Toni Bradnum, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Recycling and Waste said:
Who would have thought that here in the UK we would be holding a Food Waste Action Week? Yet here we are, highlighting the enormous volume of food thrown away each week because we buy too much, cook too much, or in some cases, don’t cook it at all and it ends up in the bin. The Waste and Resources Action Programme estimates that 40% (by weight) of all household waste is food. Of course, this is a ‘one size fits all’ exercise and there are people who do not waste any food.
Recent food waste composition analysis carried out for the Horsham District has confirmed the staggering figure of 40% to be true.
The Government is legislating to introduce nationwide food waste collection services. Studies have shown where food waste is collected on a weekly basis, the weight of wasted food per household has reduced by 15%, which is good news.
We are all tempted by the quality and array of wonderful foods on offer in the shops and supermarkets, and it’s difficult to stop and think about the quantity we’re buying and the true cost. The cost of production, the transportation, the packaging, not to mention the escalating costs of food and the energy to cook it, the list goes on. Perhaps it’s time for a ‘think before you buy’ week.
Cllr Toni Bradnum, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Recycling and Waste