Portsmouth Climate Action Network

Today WRAP, the Waste and Resource Action Programme, published a report about the UKs waste food habits. The report highlights just how much food people waste and the economic costs it has at a time when food prices are rising and domestic budgets are being squeezed.

Some statistics first:

6.7 million tonnes of food thrown away each year.
Less than a fifth is avoidable (such as bones).
A quarter of the avoidable waste is thrown away whole or unused.
The food thrown away is responsible for 18 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

Some reasons why food waste will affect climate change and the environment:

1. Food dumped at landfill will produce Methane, a highly potent green house gas.
2. Food miles to transport the food that will eventually be wasted, produces more green house gas emssions.
3. Fuel and chemicals wasted producing the food (more green house gas emissions).
4. Extra waste collections or collection vehicles increase the costs to the consumer and produce more emissions.
5. Energy and fossil fuels used to produce the wasted packaging (addition green house gases).
6. Bigger supermarkets are unnecessarily built to cope with the addition demand (additional green house gases).

On top of the GHG emissions mentioned here, wasting food has a big financial burden on consummers, both directly and indirectly.

WRAP waste food report  

Last update : 08-05-2008 11:24

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