Families are urged to stop binning their food

Nov 27 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A CAMPAIGN to cut food waste will be launched tomorrow.

The Love Food Hate Waste Cumbria campaign is aimed at encouraging people to reduce the amount of food they throw away.

Research shows that around a third of food bought ends up in the bin, meaning the average family is wasting more than £400 every year and that the UK as a whole is sending 6.7 million tonnes of food to landfill sites annually.

Discarded food also contributes to climate change by releasing methane and carbon dioxide from the rotting process, while the production, transportation and storing of food creates a problem by using energy, water and packaging. The campaign – supported by Resource Cumbria, the waste partnership between the county and district councils – will see six roadshows taking place across the county.

In Kendal on Friday during the Made in Cumbria Farmers Market, local chef John Crouch will be giving cookery demonstrations and passing on food tips, while a stand with leaflets and Love Food Hate Waste giveaways is also set to be on site.

Martin Allman, Cumbria County Council’s waste prevention manager, said: “Far too much food gets thrown away, but with a bit of thought and preparation, this can be massively reduced and some healthy, great tasting dishes can be created.”