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Reducing Christmas waste
26/12/2008
New figures published today show that more than half of Scots are planning to use Christmas leftovers to make at least one more meal.
The survey results show that sandwiches and curry are the most popular choices for using up extra food, although almost 30 per cent of people claim they will have no leftovers.
Food Secretary Richard Lochhead Lochhead said:
"Turkey sandwiches or turkey curry on Boxing Day will already be something of a tradition for many families across Scotland, but I would urge all Scots to think about how surplus food could be used in the days following Christmas.
"It's not just turkey that can be used again, of course. Whatever your Christmas menu choice, there will always be something that can be done with the leftovers.
"And in the current economic climate, with much having been spent for the previous day, a cheap meal on Boxing Day or the day after will be welcome for most people.
"Around a third of the food we buy is thrown in the bin but at least half of this could actually have been eaten.
"With food making up nearly 20 per cent of the average household bin, the Scottish Government will be aiming to increase awareness of food waste in the New Year."
Omnibus research shows that out of 992 respondents, when asked 'What Will You Be Making With Your Christmas Leftovers This Year?' the results were as follows:
- Sandwiches 274 (28 per cent)
- Curry 157 (16 per cent)
- Salad 54 (5 per cent)
- Other 125 (13 per cent)
- There will be no leftovers 283 (29 per cent)
- Unsure 242 (24 per cent)
Food waste facts and figures:
- Around 90 per cent of people don't realise the amount of food they throw away. About a third of the food bought is thrown in the bin and over half of this could have been eaten.
- Scotland pays for, but does not eat, £889 million of food every year - an average of £410 per household
- The main reasons food is wasted are that people cook or prepare too much, let it go past its use-by date or forget they have it
- The main types of food wasted at home are fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, bakery and bread products and dairy products
- Around 587,000 tonnes of food waste is thrown out by Scottish households each year
- At the moment most of Scotland's food waste is sent to landfill where it emits harmful greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Producing, transporting and storing food uses a lot of energy, water and packaging, which is all wasted if the food gets thrown away uneaten
- If people stopped wasting all this food, they could prevent the equivalent of 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year in Scotland. This is the same as taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.