English 
WRAP’s annual Food Waste Action Week is back this week (17th – 21st March), bringing businesses, government organisations, and global partners together to help households develop the tools they need to cut food waste at home
The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Buy Loose, Waste Less’, promoting the benefits of buying fruit and vegetables loose rather than packaged to avoid throwing away any excess.
Research from Love Food Hate Waste reveals that every year in the UK we throw away 1.7 million tonnes of edible fresh fruit and vegetables from our homes – mainly because it hasn’t been used in time. With food waste costing on average £1,000 for a household of four every year (WRAP), Food Waste Action Week will help shoppers save money and waste less food by shopping for loose produce.
Did you know?
- If all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose, 8.2 million shopping baskets worth of food waste could be prevented every year (Love Food Hate Waste).
- In 2022, WRAP published new research which showed that selling items loose (unpackaged) is an effective way to reduce household food waste as it means people can buy just the right amount of a product to meet their needs.
Tackling food waste at work
Every year, the UK hospitality sector throws away 1.1 million tonnes of food – 75% of which could have been eaten – costing £3.2 billion a year. In other words, almost one fifth of food purchased by the hospitality sector is thrown away (WRAP & Guardians of Grub).
To tackle this issue, WRAP’s theme for Hospitality and Food Service this year is ‘Buy only the food you need, avoiding the “just in case” purchases’.
Regarding workplace recycling, a recent survey of 1,000 office workers revealed that if workplace food waste was recycled properly, we could generate enough electricity to charge our phones 13 times over.
Fortunately, the outlook is positive when it comes to reducing the amount of unnecessary food waste in the hospitality sector and at our workplaces.
From 31 March 2025 DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation will come into effect, meaning businesses and non-domestic premises with 10 or more full-time employees will be the first required to sort their waste into four separate streams: general waste, food waste, paper and card, and dry mixed recycling. With full implementation, more recyclable waste will reach processing units instead of landfills, reducing businesses environmental impact.
Find out more about DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation.
Leafield’s Food Waste Recycling Bins
Whether it’s capturing food scraps in a corporate cafeteria or managing waste in work kitchens, our range of durable food waste bins excel in hospitality environments. Their durable, low-maintenance design ensures efficient waste management whilst promoting a cleaner, greener future.
So, why not give it a try? Buy Loose, Waste Less.
Find out more at lovefoodhatewaste.com/fwaw
Get in touch
For more information about Leafield Environmental’s internal and external recycling bins, call 01225816541, email [email protected] or visit www.leafieldrecycle.com
