10 ways to chop your food waste

Stop throwing food and money away with our guide to cutting food waste.

Follow our food tips and our easy ideas for planning and storage, and you’ll get much more from your weekly shop.

The cost of food waste

Throwing away food wastes money – an estimated £420 every year or £8 a week for the average family.

It also damages the environment as, on top of the resources required to make it, food releases greenhouse gases when it is sent to landfill sites.

Around a third of the food we buy is thrown away because it has gone off. Fruit and vegetables are the most wasted, along with meat and fish, bread and dairy foods.

Storage tips

1. Set your fridge correctly

Extend the life of your food by making sure your fridge is between 1˚C and 5˚C (get a fridge thermometer to help you).

2. Check the cupboards

Plan your week’s meals before leaving home. Check your store cupboard and freezer to see what you need.

3. Ditch the fruit bowl

Store most fruit and veg in the fridge to make it last up to two weeks longer.

4. Use your freezer

Divide up large packs of chicken or fish and freeze as individual portions. Put leftover cooked food in freezer bags, label and freeze.

5. Check dates

Keep an eye on meat, fish and ready meals. If you don’t have time to eat them, move them into the freezer. Try using labels on food in the fridge to show when it needs eating by.

6. Understand the dates

‘Best before’ dates refer to quality (after this date, food won’t be at its best), while ‘use by’ dates relate to food safety (never eat products after this date). Learn more about labels at the Food Standards Agency.