On the other hand, the seaside city of Brighton has the worst bin sinners in the country, beating London by over 4%, with more than 16% of people disposing of food waste daily.
Waitrose announces the results of the survey to raise awareness of HRH The Prince of Wales’ new ‘Start’ initiative to encourage Brits to live a more sustainable way of life.
Britain throws away more than £400 worth of food waste a year, with top bin sins including bread, which a staggering 55% of people throw away each week, bananas (over a third of people) and bagged salads (one in three).
It’s interesting to note that, on key food waste issues, there’s a gender divide, with only 1% of women throwing away chocolate, but over 3% of men confessing to binning the good stuff.
Brits are becoming waste savvy and packing up any leftovers for lunch at work the next day. Over 60% of those questioned do this every week, and more than 92% of people reuse shopping bags. Those over 35 also take waste more seriously, with fewer people throwing away food than their younger counterparts.
Waste is becoming more of an issue in every household, and we all know we’re not doing as much as we should, with over 73% feeling guilty for throwing away ‘gone off’ food.
Brits’ waste-saving tips include feeding leftovers to the dogs, freezing any food leftover after a meal or reusing packaging instead of buying plastic tubs to transport food.
Waitrose is an official partner of The Prince of Wales’ ‘Start’ initiative, which has been created to help people across the UK lead more sustainable lives and show how simple changes will lead to a better future.
Waitrose is involved in the Start national tour and will be exhibiting at ‘A Garden Party to Make a Difference’, taking place in the gardens of Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House from 8-19 September, offering advice to the public on how to minimise food waste.
Waitrose will be giving advice on how food can be produced, bought, transported, stored, cooked and disposed of in a more environmentally friendly way through events, incentives and advice.
Here are some top tips from Waitrose on how to cut back on bin sins and lead a more sustainable life (while saving money):
Source: Waitrose
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024