UK households waste 7.5m tonnes of food per year

Almost half of the 15 million tonnes of food wasted in the UK each year is disposed of in the home, according to a report by the UKs Global Food Security Programme (GFS).

Published today (September 19), the independent report found that on average, UK households produce more than 5kg of food waste each week, with nearly two thirds of this estimated to be avoidable waste caused by cooking too much food or not eating it in time.

And, this avoidable waste is costing the UK 11.8 billion per year 480 per household the Food waste within global food systems report estimates.

Looking at the food industry supply chain, it adds that a quarter of food waste is created during the inefficient manufacturing process, although this is mostly inedible or unavoidable waste such as peelings, offcuts, stones and shells. The remaining 75% of food waste is produced at the consumer stage.

Also, in response to consumer demand, retail standards for food and drink such as size, shape and the blemish criteria of fruit and vegetables can mean up to 40% of edible produce is rejected and may never reach the market.

However, the report points to a growing body of evidence that more UK consumers are prepared to accept ugly fruit and vegetables to assist sustainability and because of concerns over food prices.

In comparison, the GFS found that distribution and retail parts of the supply chain generate proportionately low levels of food waste, amounting to around 3%, or 366,000 tonnes, of overall food waste per year.

But, although buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) deals on food and drink are often blamed for encouraging consumer waste, these deals account of only 2% of sales compared to other marketing tools, the report suggests.

Also highlighted is the impact of weather and natural factors on food waste prevention, as at the agricultural stage of production a substantial 15-20% of the expected yield is lost due to weeds, pests and disease.

radical change

As a result, the GFS concludes that radical change is needed to tackle avoidable food waste in the UK and that household consumption trends are not sustainable.

Exploring how waste in the UKs food supply chain can affect food security of developed and developing countries around the world, the report calls for further research on food waste trends and new approaches to reducing food waste.

The report states: ‘To begin to address issues relating to global food security, primary production and manufacturing processes within the UK need to adapt to retain competitive advantage in the future.’

Launching the report, GFS champion Professor Tim Benton, said: Reducing the scale of losses and waste throughout the entire food system is a crucial step towards improving global food security.

He added: New approaches and new research will be instrumental in reducing waste, such as smarter packaging for retailers, improved understanding of consumer behaviour, and better weather prediction that will reduce waste at harvest. This report will enable research funders to identify the key challenges that need to be met to reduce food waste.

GFS is a partnership of the UKs main funders of research on issues around global food security.

The GFS report follows the announcement this month that Wychavon district council in Worcestershire is set to scrap its weekly food waste collections in response to government cuts to local authority funding (see letsrecycle.com story).