IT may have been launched at the end of last year, but the concept and idea remains the same – STOP Food Waste urges Irish people to rethink their food shopping habits
OVER half of us throw away food regularly. That’s according to a national research survey of 1100 people conducted by STOP Food Waste, a programme developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In fact, 30% of the food we buy ends up in the bin, costing up to €1,000 per household per year in food waste.
The STOP Food Waste programme is funded under the EPA National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP) where waste prevention is the preferred waste management option in Ireland.
Despite almost all Limerick respondents (97%) admitting to being bothered about throwing out food, almost half (44%) of those surveyed are doing little or nothing to prevent it. The average person throws out almost 300kg of black bin rubbish each year, and about one third of this waste is food waste. This is the equivalent of 3,750 apples. Research suggests that if we managed to prevent generating some of this waste and also composted and recycled at home we could reduce our rubbish by almost 70%.
“Stopping food waste starts at the point at which you buy your groceries. It continues in your home to where you store and cook what you have bought. At each of these stages food waste can be avoided and that is what the STOP Food Waste Movement is all about,” said Odile Le Bolloch, Stop Food Waste Spokesperson with the EPA.
“A top tip to avoid food waste is to make a list of what you throw out over the next week. You’ll be surprised to see just how much you waste and this is guaranteed to make you sit up and take notice!”
The extensive survey also revealed the main foods that are regularly thrown out in Limerick homes are fruits – apples, bananas and grapes, and vegetables – lettuce, potatoes, and carrots. Other foods regularly thrown out include bread and bread rolls, condiments (spreads, jams, relishes, sauces), yoghurts, dairy desserts and food leftovers.
“This type of food waste can be avoided by either not over purchasing in the first place, or finding ways of incorporating the over supply into meals or drinks – such as smoothies, in the case of fruit, or soup in the case of vegetables. If you discover you’ve over purchased on bread you can always freeze it for later use,” advises Odile.
Stop Food Waste research showed that half of Limerick people (50%) buy more food than needed when shopping. Subsequently, the most common reason for throwing out food is not consuming it before use-by dates. This is further evidence that planning ahead and smart shopping can prevent food waste and save money.
More available on www.stopfoodwaste.ie/
