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Waste

One thing we humans are simply no good at is waste. Most of us are inefficient consumers of energy, food and resources, and we are only slowly facing up to the consequences of this.

Waste in the news

Here are a few links to stories regarding waste.

Food worth Ł10 billion thrown out each year by homes in the UK

A staggering 10 billion pounds worth of food is thrown out each year by homes in the UK. For the average household, that means that good food worth Ł420 is thrown out each year. For typical families with children this figure is higher at Ł610 of good food chucked in the bin.

It's all too easy to try and pass the blame to supermarkets and "buy one get one free" deals. Each of us needs to face up to our own choices and behaviour: if you're buying two-for-one deals and throwing a lot of it in the bin, then the problem lies mainly with you, not the supermarket. At a time of rising food prices, and when people from many places in the world struggle to find enough to keep themselves alive, it really is obscene to be throwing this much good food (e.g over 5500 whole chickens per day) in the bin.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Be aware of what you're doing, and try to improve your behaviour. If you're throwing items in the bin that have gone off, try to find ways to avoid this happening again. Aim to shop responsibly so that you don't buy things that you don't need (and won't use), and cook sensibly to make the best use of what you buy.

Last updated: June 2008