Council encourages residents to waste less food and help environment
http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/81076/1/Council-encourages-residents-to-waste-less-food-and-help-environment/Page1.html
By Chief Editor
Published on 1 Feb 2010
Herefordshire Council is encouraging residents to make a late resolution and make 2010 the year they start saving money and playing their part in helping the environment by wasting less food.
Research has shown that the average family in the UK throws away around £50 worth of perfectly edible food every month but by following the simple advice on offer people can keep more money in their pockets.
Some of the top tips include:
Why not start writing a shopping list – Did you know that half of us make a shopping list all or some of the time, but half don’t stick to it in the store? Try making 2010 the year of the shopping list and sticking to it.
Try planning weekly menus – Take the effort out of thinking what you are going to cook each night, and wondering if you have the ingredients to make it, by planning weekly menus. By buying ingredients for the delicious meals we've planned at the supermarket, we will be less likely to buy foods we won’t get round to using up.
There really is such a thing as a free lunch - Simply by using what’s already in the fridge, or last night’s leftovers for a packed lunch at work, we can save between £3.00 and £5.00 a day.
Get friendly with your freezer – There’s not much that can’t be frozen for later.
Double up on family favourites – When you’re cooking dishes such as Bolognese, chilli, soups and casseroles, cook one for now and freeze one for later. That way you will have a readymade meal when you get in on these cold winter nights.
Storecupboard essentials – Keeping essentials such as oils, sauces, beans, pasta and rice means that there will always be something to add to odds and ends in the fridge to create a quick meal
Perfect Portions – One of the reasons we throw away food is because we cook too much! Its easy to cook too much of foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes, so use the Love Food Hate Waste portion calculator to help you buy and cook just the right amount of food for yourself, your family and your friends.
Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for the environment and strategic housing, said: "This is the time of year when we all look forward and make promises to ourselves about a number of things that can make things better. I'd like to encourage people to make 2010 the year where we all try to reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in our bins.
"By following these handy hints, residents can really reduce food waste and save money, protecting those pennies, as well as preventing waste ending up in the landfill site," he added.
A host of information and advice on reducing food waste is available at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com and www.wastemissionimpossible.com. Residents can also call the County Council's Waste Prevention team to find out more on 01905 766883.
Research has shown that the average family in the UK throws away around £50 worth of perfectly edible food every month but by following the simple advice on offer people can keep more money in their pockets.
Some of the top tips include:
Why not start writing a shopping list – Did you know that half of us make a shopping list all or some of the time, but half don’t stick to it in the store? Try making 2010 the year of the shopping list and sticking to it.
Try planning weekly menus – Take the effort out of thinking what you are going to cook each night, and wondering if you have the ingredients to make it, by planning weekly menus. By buying ingredients for the delicious meals we've planned at the supermarket, we will be less likely to buy foods we won’t get round to using up.
There really is such a thing as a free lunch - Simply by using what’s already in the fridge, or last night’s leftovers for a packed lunch at work, we can save between £3.00 and £5.00 a day.
Get friendly with your freezer – There’s not much that can’t be frozen for later.
Double up on family favourites – When you’re cooking dishes such as Bolognese, chilli, soups and casseroles, cook one for now and freeze one for later. That way you will have a readymade meal when you get in on these cold winter nights.
Storecupboard essentials – Keeping essentials such as oils, sauces, beans, pasta and rice means that there will always be something to add to odds and ends in the fridge to create a quick meal
Perfect Portions – One of the reasons we throw away food is because we cook too much! Its easy to cook too much of foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes, so use the Love Food Hate Waste portion calculator to help you buy and cook just the right amount of food for yourself, your family and your friends.
Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for the environment and strategic housing, said: "This is the time of year when we all look forward and make promises to ourselves about a number of things that can make things better. I'd like to encourage people to make 2010 the year where we all try to reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in our bins.
"By following these handy hints, residents can really reduce food waste and save money, protecting those pennies, as well as preventing waste ending up in the landfill site," he added.
A host of information and advice on reducing food waste is available at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com and www.wastemissionimpossible.com. Residents can also call the County Council's Waste Prevention team to find out more on 01905 766883.