UK households waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year; in fact, around one-third of all food produced globally is either lost or wasted.
Food waste also makes up around half of global food system carbon emissions, a known contributor to global warming and climate change which in turn impacts our ability to grow food sustainably.
While the UK has reduced food waste by almost half a million tonnes between 2015 and 2018 – UK households still waste 4.5 million tonnes of food that could have been eaten.
What can you do today to reduce your food waste?
Reducing food waste isn’t only good for the planet, saving food can also save you money. On average, a typical family throws away £60 worth of food every month.
By planning meals before you go shopping and using up more of the food you have means you can reduce the amount of food you throw away and need to buy.
For some great tips on how you can reduce food waste visit Love Food, Hate Waste.
Eating sustainably
The global impact of livestock on emissions makes up more than 14% of all man-made greenhouse gases, including methane.
You can consider reducing meat and dairy in your diet for a variety of reasons. These could include concerns about animal welfare, the environment, health benefits, or simply personal preference.
It is important to note that whilst plant-based diets can support a healthy living, you should always plan your meals to meet your nutritional needs. For example, vitamin B12, an essential nutrient in the human body, is not readily available in most plants and will often require additional supplements or fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals.
Find out more about how to eat more sustainably.
Brent Food Strategy
The council, voluntary and community groups, and other local partners, such as schools and businesses, are joining forces to coproduce the borough’s first food strategy. Engagement activities so far have revealed a strong interest in including food and environment elements into the strategy. If you are interested in contributing to this project, or you have any questions, please email FoodPartnership@brent.gov.uk
Learn more about the emerging themes Towards a Food Strategy
From Brent to Bowl
The cookbook ‘From Brent to Bowl’, was co-created in a partnership between Brent Council and our waste and recycling contractor, Veolia. It includes recipes from around the world via Brent, celebrating the borough’s rich diversity and heritage, with cultural stories of reducing food waste that have been passed down through generations.
The Healthier Catering Commitment
The Healthier Catering Commitment is a London award scheme designed to encourage takeaway outlets to consider how they prepare, cook and promote their food to support customers to eat healthier. The award acknowledges businesses that are actively promoting healthier cooking practices that reduce the level of saturated fat, salt and sugar.
Find out more about Healthier Catering
Food growing, conservation and gardening projects
There are a number of community and friends of groups volunteering to work with the Council to ensure the continuing development of our park spaces and allotments to grow food, create conservation areas and gardening projects
A Beginner's Guide to the Climate Emergency: Food and its impact!
To learn more, watch the Beginner's Guide to the Climate Emergency webinar that focuses on food and its impact. The webinar was delivered by Brent Environmental Network (BEN).
