Food Waste Action Week: Islanders Urged To Choose What They Use

The Isle of Wight Council, with its waste partner, is supporting the UK’s biggest annual food waste reduction campaign.  

Food Waste Action Week 2024 takes place this week (18–24 March) with Islanders being encouraged to “Choose What You’ll Use” by buying  fruit and vegetables loose instead of packaged.

According to WRAP, currently 60 per cent of the food that is wasted in the UK is wasted by people in their own homes — that’s 4.7 million tonnes of food being thrown away every year that could have been eaten.  

Research from Love Food Hate Waste has shown that we could reduce food waste by 60,000 tonnes just by buying loose fruit and veg.

Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox, the Cabinet lead for waste, said:

“By choosing loose fruit and veg in the supermarket or supporting our local greengrocers, we can make a big impact on our environment.

“By selecting exactly what you will need, you’ll be saving food and plastic from going to waste.

"According to David Attenborough, of all food produced (using precious forests and land) 40 per cent is then just thrown away to landfill.  Choosing only what you need is a simple way to making a difference.”

You can order an indoor and outside food caddy online or by calling 823777.

Simple ways to help you to save money on your food shop (courtesy of Love Food Hate Waste):

• Steer clear of pre-prepared fruit and veg. It’s easier but you’ll pay a premium for it and it usually comes covered in plastic wrap.
• Food will last much longer when it’s stored correctly. This makes it easier to eat everything before it goes off. Store most fresh produce in the fridge, it'll last longer.
• Save money on food by making the most of what you buy. Aim to eat every edible morsel — for example, keeping the skins on carrots and potatoes (they’re also full of nutrients).

To find out more about Food Waste Action Week and try out some tasty recipes using your leftovers, visit Love Food Hate Waste’s website.