Cumbrian households throw out £420 worth of food a year

Wasted food now costs UK homes £10 billion, new study reveals

A new research report "The Food We Waste", published by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) today revealed that the average household in Cumbria throws out £420 of good food a year. For some families with children it can be as much as £610 -which could have helped pay household bills.

The cost of needlessly wasted food to UK households is £10 billion a year, £2 billion higher than previously estimated. The research gives detailed new insights into the nature and amount of food waste thrown away in the UK and is believed to be the first study of its kind.

Researchers found that more than half the good food thrown out, worth £6 billion a year is bought and simply left unused or untouched. For example, each day 1.3 million unopened yoghurt pots, 5,500 whole chickens and 440,000 ready meals are thrown away in the UK. The study revealed that £1 billion worth of wasted food is still "in date".

The environmental impact of food waste is enormous, because of all the energy and resources which are used to get food to our homes, and when it reaches landfill, there is a major carbon impact. Tackling the problem of food waste would be the same as taking 1 in 5 cars off of UK roads.

Launching the report "The Food We Waste" today Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP, described the findings as "shocking".

"Food waste has a significant environmental impact. This research confirms that it is an issue for us all, whether as consumers, retailers, local or central Government." She added: "What shocked me the most was the cost of our food waste at a time of rising food bills, and generally a tighter pull on our purse strings."

Julia Falcon of WRAP`s campaign, Love Food Hate Waste, said: "This report shows we could all be saving money and time by making better use of our food. We`ve found there`s a real demand for quick and easy ideas and lovefoodhatewaste.com can help with tips which turn into good habits in the kitchen."