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"Households throw £10m in the food waste bin every year"

Sunday 06 December 2020

"Households throw £10m in the food waste bin every year"

Sunday 06 December 2020


Guernsey Waste has teamed up with Guernsey Dairy to take its message that Food is Not Rubbish into supermarkets and homes.

The Love Food Hate Waste campaign aims to cut down the 4,000 tonnes of food that are thrown away by households each year, most of which could be avoided.

It is estimated that good food ending up in the bin costs islanders more than £10 million a year. The average family could be wasting as much as £800 annually, and much of that could be saved by some fairly simple steps.

In the UK, milk is one of the five most wasted items of food or drink, along with potatoes, bread, home-made meals, and fresh vegetables. Waste Prevention and Recycling Officer Ben Henry said the campaign is more targeted on these other items, many of which may be kept in the fridge.

“Given the quality of Guernsey milk, islanders are probably quite careful not to waste a drop," he said. "So that is not really the target for this campaign. However by being on the cartons, hopefully every time we open the fridge we get that gentle reminder of how much we can save just by taking a few simple steps.

“A lot of the food that ends up in the bin is stuff that has been lurking in the fridge too long, and wasn’t eaten in time, so it is the ideal place for us to be.

“And one of our top tips for reducing wate is to check your fridge and cupboards before you go shopping, to see what you already have. That way you only buy what you need, and can make sure you eat what you buy.

Top tips for reducing food waste:

  1. If you are ever overstocked with low fat or skimmed milk, you can freeze some and keep it for longer.

  2. If ever you do have some milk that goes off, check out the recipe for soured milk scones at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.

  3. Try not to leave milk out on the counter-top: left out overnight loses a day of its shelf- life.

  4. Why not try making yoghurt from leftover milk? You don’t need any special equipment – just check out the internet to find out how.

  5. For hundreds of other money saving tips, go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.gg.

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