I RECENTLY read a United Nations report that estimated that in 2022, the world wasted 19% of the food produced globally.
This alarming revelation comes at a time when 783 million people in the world experience chronic hunger and numerous areas face severe food crises. Not only that, the impact on our environment of greenhouse gas emissions emitted as a result of food production, transport and disposal, has accounted for about 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times. This got me thinking about household food waste in Wales.
Despite Wales being one of the best recyclers in the world, a quarter of the average rubbish container collected from our homes is food waste which, according to Wales Recycles, 80% could have been eaten. The rest could have been put out for recycling and taken to facilities that recycle waste food into renewable energy to generate power. According to the environmental charity WRAP Cymru, the financial cost of wasted food and drink to Welsh householders in 2021/22 was on average a whopping £580.
So, what’s being done about it, well apart from most householders in Wales having a food waste recycling service, other initiatives have been developed to stop it becoming waste in the first place. For example, over the last couple of months Wales Recycles have been running ‘The Mighty Food Waste Mission’. You may have noticed their signs on roundabouts around the Vale encouraging us to recycle.
As part of their campaign, they have made available free curriculum-linked activities to enable schoolchildren to learn about the importance of not wasting food. In addition, they are running a competition where children aged 5 to 11 can design a recipe poster to encourage families to tackle food waste. Prizes on offer include a hamper for their family and £50 worth of books for their school. The deadline is 30th April, more details can be found here.
Schemes are also being set up in parts of Wales to combat the problem of food waste. One project is the Community Fridge, where people can drop off unwanted or surplus food to swap and share. Another way of sharing food that you no longer want is by giving it away by using an app such as OLIO. You simply download the app, take a photo of what food you don’t need, add it to the app, and wait for someone to ask can they have it and then agree when they can collect.
There are other ways to tackle food waste, including planning our weekly meals, measuring portions so that we don’t end up cooking too much, making a shopping list, and getting creative with our leftovers. You can find lots of practical tips and recipes online. All these actions will help us reduce our food waste, save money, and lessen our environmental impact – and if we do have to throw away food, we need to make sure we recycle it.
By Brian Mayne
The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees or its proprietors.
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