1.Current status
10 Facts in Olio
Over 1/3 of all food produced globally goes to waste.
The annual value of food wasted globally is $1 trillion, and it weighs 1.3 billion tonnes.
All the world’s nearly one billion hungry people could be fed on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the US, UK and Europe.
An area larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten.
25% of the world’s fresh water supply is used to grow food that is never eaten.
If food waste were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after China & the USA).
Reducing food waste is the #1 solution to the climate crisis, according to Project DrawDown – coming above electric cars, solar power and plant-based diets.
In most developed countries, over half of all food waste takes place in the home.
In the home food waste is worth £700 per year to the average UK family ($2,275 in the USA), which collectively adds up to £14 billion per year.
2.3 billion people are joining the planet by 2050 – this will require a 60-70% increase in global food production. Or we can just stop throwing away our food!
2. Why we need to take action on food waste (Wrap)
Producing food requires significant resources including land, energy and water. Globally, 25–30% of total food produced is lost or wasted, and food waste is estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to contribute 8-10% of total man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA.
Great progress has been made in the UK, but food waste from households and businesses is still around 9.5 million tonnes (Mt), 70% of which was intended to be consumed by people (30% being the ‘inedible' parts).
This had a value of over £19 billion a year, and would be associated with more than 25 Mt of GHG emissions.
The food that could have been eaten (6.4 Mt) would make the equivalent of over 15 billion meals – enough to feed the entire UK population 3 meals a day for 11 weeks.
There is no comparable estimate for food waste pre-farm gate in the UK, but WRAP has estimated food waste levels from primary production at 1.6 Mt.
In Scotland, we waste around 988,000 tones of food and drink every year.
3. Policy
Food waste prevention and recycling
It might not look like it but, because food is heavy, it’s actually the largest single waste stream in our household waste bins. A third of waste in the average non-recyclable waste bin is made up of food. That’s twice as much as plastic.
You might think you don’t produce much food waste, but if you drink tea or eat fruit and veg, you definitely do!
Climate
Everything you buy and use has to come from somewhere, and producing food has a big environmental impact. It’s one of the biggest drivers of climate change, so it makes sense to get the most out of it and waste less. The Zero Waste Scotland website has some useful information to help you make an impact.
Prevention
Prevention is better than cure! Although it’s not always possible to avoid food waste completely, for example peelings and teabags, around half of the food waste in this country is actually food which would have been edible- it’s just gone off before it was eaten or been thrown away unopened.
There are loads of ways to reduce this waste which will save you money and protect the environment at the same time. From shopping better and good portion control, to using up leftovers in meals, the Love Food Hate Waste campaign has loads of great ideas and recipes.
Composting
If you have a garden or allotment, it’s definitely worth thinking about home composting to get some free fertiliser for your garden. You can compost
uncooked peelings,
coffee grounds,
teabags.
Please don’t put these in your garden waste bin as we’re not allowed to collect them together.
It’s important to do it right, but that’s much easier than you might think! To compost the right way
keep food waste to just uncooked fruit and vegetables,
leave out cooked food, meat and dairy,
mix it up with garden waste and shredded paper or damp cardboard,
make sure you turn it to give it a supply of oxygen.
Learn how to compost at home.
You can buy compost bins online, at garden centres or simply make your own. There are loads of videos online.
Recycling
Nearly every household in Edinburgh has access to a weekly food waste collection either at the kerbside or through the communal bin service. This can collect all types of cooked and uncooked food including things like meat and dairy which you can’t home compost.
All the food we collect is taken to the Biogen reprocessing plant at Millerhill. It’s treated using anaerobic digestion, which generates gas for the power grid, and fertiliser and creates local jobs. This plant recycles 10,000 tonnes of food waste each year. However, it could take a lot more if everyone used the service. Find out what happens to our recycling for more information.
If you want to order a kerbside food bin or a kitchen caddy these are free of charge. Please note that kerbside bins are not available if you receive the communal collection service- you’ll have a communal bin near you.
This is also a great way to get all your food waste in one place to help you see how much you’re throwing away. It might even help you change your shopping habits so you waste less!
Food waste myths
I don’t have much food waste
Even if you have a small amount it’s worth recycling, and you almost certainly have more than you realize.
Collecting food will attract vermin or cause flies
This is the same waste you already have. Our kitchen caddies keep it safe and our food waste bins have a lock. Food waste collections are weekly, so it’s actually more hygienic to use them than to put your food in the general waste bin.
Recycling food waste is fiddly
We do ask you to make sure your food is bagged or wrapped. This is to keep the process as hygienic as possible for you and for our staff who are handling thousands of bins a day. If the food is not wrapped it will stick to the side of your bin and not come out. You just need to use a compostable liner, a simple plastic bag (bread bags are a good size) or wrap it in paper, whichever works best for you.
The food waste bins are dirty
Our communal food waste bins have been out there for a number of years. We’ve put in place a refurbishment and replacement programme and this is rolling out now as part of our communal bin review.
Question: The mechanisms for food waste in each region of the UK are adequate and detailed, but why are they ineffective? People don't seem to be very keen to get involved.
1. Background
The UK generates 9.5 million tons of food waste annually, 70% of which comes from
households [1]. To meet their sustainability targets, the government aims to have increased food waste capture by developing comprehensive nationwide food waste collection services by 2023 [2]. At the time of this study, in 2021, many households across the UK do not have access to separate food waste collection services, with low rates of food waste recycling compared to other European countries [3]. Food waste collection services are better in the UK’s devolved nations. In Wales, weekly food waste collections are offered to 99% of Welsh households [4,5]. However, in England, where local authorities make the decisions on collection and recycling operations, separate food waste collection services are available to fewer than half of all households [6]. England is responsible for over three quarters (82%) of UK biodegradable municipal waste (food waste, green waste, cardboard and paper) sent to landfills, generating 5.4 million tonnes of the 6.6 million tonnes UK total in 2019 [3].
[1] WRAP. Food Surplus and Waste in the UK–Key Facts. Available online: https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021--06 /Food%20Surplus%20and%20Waste%20in%20the%20UK%20Key%20Facts%20June%202021.pdf (accessed on 18 February 2022).
[2] DEFRA. Environment Bill. Available online: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58--01/0220/200220.pdf (accessed on 20 January 2022).
[3] DEFRA. UK Statistics on Waste; DEFRA: London, UK, 2021.
[4] GOV.WALES. How Wales Became a World Leader in Recycling. Available online: https://gov.wales/how-wales-became-worldleader-recycling#:~{}:text=99%25%20of%20households%20now%20have,create%20energy%20to%20power%20homes (accessed on 23 September 2021).
[5] Wales Government. Beyond Recycling. Available online: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-03/beyondrecycling-strategy document.pdf (accessed on 24 February 2022).
[6] DEFRACommittee. Oral Evidence: Food Waste in England, HC 429; DEFRA: London, UK, 2017.
2. Disposing
In the UK, there are three different ways of disposing of food waste.
1.commercial services, anaerobic digestion (AD)
2. In-Vessel Composting (IVC)
3. home/community composting.
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