Reducing household food waste could save families £500 a year, equivalent to £10 a week, according to WRAP, the global climate action NGO behind the Love Food Hate Waste campaign.
The call comes as food prices continue to rise, with costs predicted to be 50% higher by November compared to 2021. WRAP says the average household of four already throws away £1,000 worth of food every year, yet most people fail to connect food waste with their own spending.
Seven in ten people are concerned about food bills, second only to energy costs, and three quarters of those on stretched incomes say they have little or nothing more they can do to cut back.
WRAP argues that food waste prevention must be brought into mainstream conversations about the cost of living. The organisation is calling for an ambitious coalition across government, industry and community organisations to reach millions of households with practical advice on buying, storing and using food more efficiently.
Catherine David, CEO of WRAP, said: “Our research shows that people underestimate how much they waste and don’t connect food waste with their spending. It’s an invisible cost households never see, but pay dearly for.”
She added that halving household food waste nationally could deliver £8.5bn in savings on food bills across the country.
The environmental case is equally compelling.
Globally, food waste and food loss together produce between 8% and 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, nearly five times the total emissions of the aviation sector.
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