News
Hertfordshire residents have their say on food waste
This feature was added on 16th April 2010
A survey conducted in Hertfordshire about wasting food shows that residents are concerned about food waste and want to know more about how they can reduce the amount of food that ends up in the bin.
Fifty two per cent of respondents to the WasteAware 'Love Food Hate Waste' survey said that unnecessary food waste bothered them a great deal.
The main motivation to reduce food waste is clearly cost, with 64.5 per cent of people putting this as their top reason. Only a quarter of respondents guessed the value of food thrown away each month by an average family - a staggering £50 worth.
Bread is the most common food thrown away (34 per cent), with vegetables a close second (32 per cent). Food being out of date (49 per cent) or cooking too much in one go (33 per cent) were the main reasons why food is thrown away.
Richard Brown, Assistant Director for Environmental Planning at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "Recycling rates in the county continue to rise, but we need to work on reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place. If the average family is throwing away £50 worth of food each month, that's a bag of rubbish per household. Imagine what a difference it would make if this never ended up in the bin or recycling box in the first place.
"The findings of this survey are useful as they help us gauge public opinion and we'll use the feedback to shape future projects. Through the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership we're already encouraging people to reduce the amount of food they waste. Most ideas are really straightforward, from using a rice or spaghetti measurer to avoid preparing too much food, to keeping your fridge at the right temperature and making a list before going food shopping.
If you want to know more - including some tasty recipes for leftovers please visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
The survey was conducted by WasteAware, part of the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, and received 1,244 reponses. A copy can be downloaded here.