As Sainsbury’s prepares to launch its £10 million initiative Waste less, Save more, to radically reduce household food waste, new research reveals British families believe they only throw away 10 meals a month when in fact they waste more than four times that amount.
Over four million tonnes of edible food is binned annually in the UK yet over 80% of UK families are under the impression they waste little, or no food. The YouGov research which revealed the “food waste gap”, showed that families believe they are wasting no more than £30 a month, but are actually throwing away foodstuffs worth £58.30 per household.
The retailer’s five year programme to tackle food waste kicks off this week in Swadlincote, a market town in Derbyshire which beat applications from 188 other UK towns and cities to be Sainsbury’s test-bed food waste reduction town.
Over the next year the retailer will invest £1million in the area to test the latest innovations in an ambitious bid to cut household waste by 50%, equating to a saving of £350 per household. The target to halve food waste is in line with UN Goals to be achieved by 2030.
Paul Crewe, Sainsbury’s Head of Sustainability, said: “Food waste is one of the biggest issues facing us all today and with households unaware of just how much food they are binning there is a huge food waste knowledge gap. Customers have told us that food waste is their number one concern which is why starting today we’re investing £10million to tackle it.
“Our target to help Swadlincote halve its food waste is very ambitious but with the support of the community and a bank of great ideas to test we believe we can help people change their habits. If we’re successful households will save £350 per year.”
