What Does Food Waste Do To The Environment?
Every time you throw leftovers or food scraps into the kitchen bin, it’s all too easy to think nothing of it. But food waste is so harmful to our planet, damaging the climate and our environment. When the refuse collectors come to collect our bins on their weekly rota, any waste that isn’t recyclable goes to landfill. This food waste that then sits in landfill starts to produce methane as it decomposes.
And as food rots even further, harmful gases, which are more dangerous than carbon dioxide, trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change. Food waste also uses up fresh water, land and labour and, according to Friends of the Earth, over 10 million tonnes of food is binned each year here in the UK alone. That’s a shocking statistic. But we can do something. We can lead a more sustainable lifestyle and make a difference.
FOOD WASTE FACTS
Friends of the Earth offers the following facts:
- 50 million chickens are wasted in the UK each year
- £470 is the average UK family spend on food which is binned and not eaten
- One third of all food produced across the globe is lost or wasted
- 100 million pints of milk are tipped down the drain each year in the UK
- 240,000 tonnes of food is wasted by UK supermarkets every year
So how can we help?
Well, there are plenty of ways we can all cut back on our household food waste by storing food correctly and learning to love leftovers. ZWILLING’S FRESH & SAVE vacuum food preservation solutions are a great start. The collection includes a Vacuum Pump, Vacuum Boxes (plastic and glass as well as lunchboxes, a gratin dish and a flat plate for cold cuts), reusable Vacuum Bags and a Vacuum Wine Sealer. This new collection is designed to help you cut back on food waste by keeping food fresh for up to five times’ longer as well as alerting you when its new ‘best before’ date is looming thanks to a QR code on every box and bag that can be scanned with the ZWILLING Culinary World app.
Other ways to reduce food waste include using apps to help save otherwise-wasted meals and ingredients, learning to love your leftovers, planning meals ahead and recycling your food waste by composting. You can also help the environment by cutting back on food waste packaging too. The ZWILLING FRESH & SAVE collection enables you to purchase more loose items that can be stored freshly in the vacuum sealed boxes and bags.
Also, when out shopping, look for products packaged in recyclable and biodegradable materials or search for local shops that allow you to refill your oils, washing liquids and containers for dried goods in-store, removing the need for packaging altogether. If we all start to make a few changes to our shopping and eating habits, it will make a difference.
