Food Waste Collection Coming?

Food waste is a big problem in the UK.

According to Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP), the UK produces more than 10 million tonnes of waste food per year which equates to around one quarter of all UK food purchases. This is an astonishing and unacceptable amount.

Not only does this waste have to be dealt with by the government and local authorities – at great expense to taxpayers – but there are environmental consequences too. Just consider how much energy is expended growing, distributing and selling this food, only for it to be thrown away, needlessly.

And imagine what could be done with the land that is used to grow food but is never consumed. Couldn’t that be better used by being given back to nature?

Until our attitudes as consumers change, the government is encouraging local authorities to manage this waste in a better way. Last month, DEFRA announced £295 million of capital funding aimed at local authorities who need incentivising to tackle this issue.

Currently, South Norfolk Council (SNC) – which covers Wymondham – does not offer a food waste recycling scheme, but we have heard recently that the council is looking to take advantage of this government money in order to introduce food waste collections in the district.

While this isn’t the answer to the problem, it will definitely ease it a little and we hope that this scheme will be implemented.

In the meantime, please do all you can to reduce your food waste by buying only what you need (ignore those supermarket BOGOF offers which are only designed to get you spending more!) and keeping an eye on the use by dates of the items in your fridge and cupboards.

Together we can beat this!

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Credit: Photo of decaying fruit by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash