Households across the UK waste a whopping 4.5 million tonnes of edible food each year, data has revealed – but Brits could gain two-and-a-half days a year simply by eating their leftovers.
Wasteful Brits admit to throwing away as much as a quarter of the food they cook each week – despite spending 44 minutes a day, or five hours a week, preparing and cooking these meals.
Potatoes, bread, and milk are the top food items that end up being wasted – while a total of 920,000 whole bananas, and 800,000 whole apples, end up in bins across the UK every day.
And the data, from waste reduction charity WRAP, also found that the typical home sees food leftover from two meals a week, due to “preparing, cooking, or serving too much”.
But more than an hour of food prep time could be save each week, if Brits just took the time – seven minutes, on average – to reheat these leftovers to use in another meal.
This equates to reclaiming more than two days a year – enough time to watch a whole series of Love Island, with time left over to enjoy “me” time, hit the gym, or head out on a long walk.
If given those hours back, people said they would spend the time reading (38%), enjoying well deserved “me time” (35%), or with their family and friends (31%).
Love Food Hate Waste, which commissioned the research, has teamed up with TV personality and champion of eating well on a budget, Jordan Banjo, to share easy kitchen hacks to help re-purpose meals.
Jordan said: “As a dad-of-two, and a third on the way, I can absolutely relate to not having enough hours in the day – and as much as I love cooking, it can be time-consuming.
“It’s probably fair to say no-one enjoys throwing food away – but luckily, it’s not difficult to re-purpose your uneaten food and get that little bit of life back to spend with your family doing something you love.”
The poll, of 2,000 adults, also revealed 80% of people feel guilty about throwing food away – and 70% would be more likely to use their leftovers if they could turn them into something tasty.
Two-thirds of those polled, via OnePoll, also said they have noticed the cost of their food bill has gone up considerably in recent months – with 35% naming price as the most important factor for them when doing their food shopping.
But despite this, WRAP that around £14 billion worth of food that could have been eaten is wasted every year from our homes – or £60 a month for an average family with children.
However, respondents also said they were using energy-efficient microwaves (78%), slow cookers (26%), and air fryers (23%) more often to save money.
Jackie Bailey, from Love Food Hate Waste, said: “In our busy lives, many of us wish we had more time.
“One simple way around this is to use up those extra portions we often seem to have – a simple solution that could help you get some life back, and turn food we’ve already cooked into a second, delicious meal.
“For this year’s Food Waste Action Week, we’re encouraging the nation to “Win. Don’t Bin”, and highlighting the very real benefits that using up your uneaten food can have on your pockets, your personal time – and the planet.
“Even more importantly, at a time of rising food prices, tackling food waste at home is one way we can all make a difference – and help save money.”
TOP TIPS FOR EASILY AND SAFELY ENJOYING FOOD AGAIN WITH MINIMAL EFFORT:
- Store leftover portions safely. Cover and store in the fridge, and use within two days.
- Make your freezer your friend. You can safely freeze most leftovers – just label and date them so you know what’s in there.
- Defrost safely. Defrost extra portions in the fridge or microwave, and reheat until your food is piping hot.
- Cook a little extra for the next day – who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Enjoy a quick, easy, and tasty me-time meal, saving yourself all the preparation and cooking time.
EVERY DAY UK HOMES THROW AWAY APPROXIMATELY, ACCORDING TO WRAP DATA:
- 20 million slices of bread (equivalent to one million loaves, at 20 slices per loaf)
- 4.4 million whole potatoes
- 3.1 million glasses of milk
- 2.7 million whole carrots
- 2.2 million slice of ham
- 1.2 million whole tomatoes
- 970,000 whole onions
- 920,000 whole bananas
- 800,000 whole apples
- 720,000 whole oranges
- 86,000 whole lettuces
TOP 10 MOST WASTED FOOD AND DRINK ITEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CONSUMED, ACCORDING TO WRAP DATA:
- Potato (fresh)
- Bread
- Milk
- Meals (home-made and pre-prepared)
- Fizzy drinks
- Fruit juice and smoothies
- Pork/ham/bacon
- Poultry (i.e. chicken, turkey, duck)
- Carrots (fresh)
- Potato (processed)
