Reduce Love Food Hate Waste

Why Reducing Food Waste Matters

Wasting Food = Wasting Money

Every time we throw away food, we’re throwing away money too.

Did you know?

• The average person in the UK wastes £250 a year on food.
• For a family of four, that’s £1,000 annually.

And it’s not just the cost of food—cooking more than we need means higher energy bills.

Cutting food waste = saving money + saving energy.

Wasting Food Hurts the Environment

Food waste isn’t just a household issue—it’s a global one.

When food is wasted, it creates unnecessary emissions and strains natural resources.

Reducing food waste can:

✅ Lower emissions from agriculture.

✅ Protect natural habitats by reducing farmland demand.

✅ Conserve water and improve food security.

✅ Help reduce global risks like drought, flooding, malnutrition, and rising food prices (Source: United Nations)

How You Can Take Action

Love Food Hate Waste (led by WRAP) offers simple tips to help everyone waste less food:

📝 Plan your meals & shop smart – Use a shopping list and buy only what you need.

📅 Understand food dates – ‘Best before’ = quality, not safety. ‘Use by’ = eat or freeze before the date.

🍽 Perfect your portions – Cooking too much often leads to waste.

🥡 Savour your surplus – Learn how to store or share extra food.

Want to Learn More?

🌐 Visit Love Food Hate Waste

📍 Check out local food waste prevention events in Leicestershire

📧 Email us: waste.prevention@leics.gov.uk

🤝 Share surplus food via Olio

🏪 Use The Community Fridge network

📖 Read about industry action through UK Food and Drink Pact

🙋 Become an Environment Action Volunteer

🍳 Use tools like the Food & Recipe Checker or our Recipe Hub to make the most of leftovers