Why Avoid Food Waste?

When food is wasted, all the resources used in bringing food to our tables are wasted too. Reducing your food waste is a key action you can take to help the environment and save money too.

We all waste food.

The reasons are different for everyone; we buy too much, we prepare too much, plans change, leftovers go off in the fridge, the list goes on. Day-to-day, it might not seem like much but when added up, food waste is a big problem for both our pockets and the planet.

How Much?

• Globally, more than one-quarter of food produced is wasted each year – this has social, environmental and economic consequences.
• In Ireland, we produce around 750,000 tonnes of food waste each year and of this amount, Irish households generate around 220,000 tonnes.
• The average Irish household throws out 120kg of food each year and a significant amount of this food is still suitable for human consumption.

Why care?

• Growing, processing and transporting food all use significant amounts of resources (land, water, energy). Every item of food wasted also carries the environmental weight of those wasted resources as well.
• Food waste is a significant contributor to climate change generating around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Food waste is deeply unethical – so much food is thrown away while so many people can’t afford to eat.
• Throwing out food is a waste of money. The average Irish household can save around €700 a year by avoiding food waste.

Find out more about Food Waste and Climate Change.

Small Changes, Big Impact

Nobody likes wasting food. By making small changes to how we manage our food each day, we can make a big difference to our overall food waste and help our nation’s goal to cut our climate emissions in half by 2030. Once you start thinking about food waste there will always be something you can do to avoid it and here are some steps to get you started:

• Find out what food you waste and why – Separate your food waste out from other items you throw in the bin. This might sound messy but here’s how to make it as straightforward as possible: Three easy steps to help you identify the food you waste.
• Identify smarter ways to manage your food – Once you know what foods you are wasting the most and the reasons why, you can identify simple actions you can take to avoid food waste. Find out more on how to manage your food better through:
  • Shopping
  • Storage
  • Cooking
• Keep up your new food management habits – Eating, shopping and cooking food is central to our daily lives. The ways we manage our food better to avoid food waste also need to become part of our daily habits. Follow Stop Food Waste on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for tips and advice on staying on track and up-to-date on ways to avoid Food Waste.

Every day is a new day to reduce and avoid food waste. Below, you’ll find useful resources to help you get started:

• STOP FOOD WASTE Pocket Guide – an all you ‘need-to-know’ easy guide to help you reduce household food waste.
• Five Ways to Reduce Food Waste – five top actions to start reducing food waste today.
• Weekly Food Waste Recording Sheet – Keep track of your food waste to learn what goes to waste most often.
• Reducing Food Waste: Lessons from a No Spend Year – read about Mrs. Smart Money’s experiences of Stop Food Waste.