Knowsley Council is supporting Love Food Hate Waste’s Food Waste Action Week by urging residents to buy loose fruit and veg – and save food from the bin.
Food Waste Action Week – running from 17 – 23 March – is the flagship annual event delivered by WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste. The campaign helps households develop the tools they need to cut food waste at home.
This year, the campaign will continue to focus on raising awareness of the benefits of buying loose fruit and veg.
With food waste costing on average £1,000 for a household of four every year, Food Waste Action Week will help shoppers to save money and waste less food by shopping for loose produce.
WRAP’s research has identified the potential to reduce household food waste by removing the packaging on uncut fresh fruit and veg, enabling us to buy closer to our needs as well as the ‘bonus’ benefit of eliminating a significant amount of unnecessary packaging.
WRAP recently called for a packaging ban on 21 fruit and veg items, to be developed via a formal consultation process. This recommendation has been created in consultation with industry stakeholders from across the supply chain.
Selling these 21 items loose has the potential to save in the region of 100,000 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables from being wasted annually in people’s homes as well as saving 13,000 tonnes of plastic film.
Jackie Bailey, Senior Campaign Manager Love Food Hate Waste, said: “We know buying loose fruit and veg has the potential to significantly cut the amount of food ending up in the bin – now is the time for retailers and shoppers to make that a reality. Increasing loose fruit and veg offerings in store will not only reduce hard to recycle plastics, it will also enable shoppers to buy closer to their needs, slashing waste and stopping tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions.”
Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said: “This campaign reminds us how much pre-packaged fresh fruit and vegetables is wasted and ends up in the bin. By buying these items loose we only buy what we need, save money, reduce waste and protect the environment by avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging.”