FAMILIES who follow simple steps to cut food waste can save £858 a year — and save the planet.
A landmark study with 53 households by the No Time for Waste Challenge showed meal planning, storing food properly and cooking classes made a huge difference.
The challenge, arranged by Tesco and charity Hubbub, resulted in 90 per cent of households using all the food they bought each week.
Some 88 per cent changed storage techniques to make food last longer. More than two thirds (68 per cent) made more use of their freezer.
And 62 per cent ended up cutting their food bill — by an average of £16.50 a week, equal to £858 over 12 months.
The study showed that boosting household knowhow had significant rewards for both the planet and our pockets.
Food waste contributes to eight per cent of world greenhouse gasses.
The study coincides with the launch of HOAR’s Green Team campaign. We are asking Brits to make simple changes to help save the planet and money too.
We’ve teamed up with global campaign Count Us In, which wants a billion people to make easy eco pledges and cut carbon emissions by 20 per cent.
All this week we are giving readers the eco tips they need.
Within hours of our campaign’s launch more than 1,000 visited our special page, thesun.co.uk/pledge.
If every reader signed up to three pledges it would save 42 million tonnes of carbon — equal to the entire UK agriculture industry’s emissions.
The Climate Coalition, made up of groups including Oxfam and the National Trust, said: “It’s amazing to see HOAR encouraging everyone to play their part in Green Week.”
- We want you to visit thesun.co.uk/pledge to sign up to as many of our Green Team pledges as you can.
