Wasting food feeds climate change

The average UK family wastes eight meals every week! This comes at a cost not only to our wallets but also to the planet.

Every bit of wasted food has an environmental impact... from transport, fuel, water and energy - it all adds up. We throw away 6.6 million tonnes of food from UK households a year, producing nearly 25 million tonnes of CO2 every year.

Around 4.5 million tonnes of the food wasted could have been eaten and is worth approximately £14 billion … £60 a month for an average family with two children.

Love Food Hate Waste have lots of handy hints and tips on how we can all take steps to reduce our food waste, including how we can freeze and defrost food safely to save food from the bin.

Hit the freeze button

Freezing our food buys us a bit more time before it goes off. Freezing just three key meat items that are commonly not used in time (fresh chicken, bacon, and sausages) could reduce waste of those items by as much as 15,000 tonnes per year!

Here are some top tips for freezing food:

• Cool foods before you freeze them. Hot foods will increase the temperature and your freezer will have to work harder to keep everything frozen.
• Know when you can refreeze. Raw food should not be refrozen if it has defrosted. However, food can be refrozen if you cook it in between. For example thawing beef mince to make a Bolognese, you can safely refreeze cooked portions for another day.
• Wrap it.. Make sure you wrap foods or put them in a sealed container (such as washed out plastic take away tubs) to stop freezer burn.
• Portions. Freeze food in portions, whether its raw ingredients like chicken drumsticks or leftovers like your Bolognese sauce.
• Don't delay. Its best to freeze food at it’s prime, so if you’re buying in bulk, make sure you portion food up and get it in the freezer as soon as possible. Although it is safe to freeze food right up to the use-by date.
• Labels. Remember to label up your pots and portions so you know what you’ve got saved for another date. Add a date too as it’s best to use up food in your freezer within 3 to 6 months.

When you take your food out of the freezer, it's important to defrost it safely before cooking or eating it. Don't defrost food at room temperature. Food should be defrosted fully in the fridge, check the guidance on food packaging and allow enough time for your food to defrost properly. Once food has been defrosted, eat it within 24 hours.

Micro-Wave goodbye to wasted food

If it isn't possible (or you forget!) to defrost in the fridge, use a microwave directly before cooking. Follow these handy tips to ensure your food is defrosted and ready to cook:

• If you froze your food in the original packaging, remove it first.
• Put the food on a microwave-safe plate and cover it.
• Microwave using the defrost setting or a specific defrosting programme e.g. for meat.
• Always check the microwave manual and food packaging for any defrosting instructions. There may be guidance on turning, stirring, or standing times.
• Once food has been defrosted in the microwave, it should be cooked straight away.

Mayor’s Climate Action Event

On Saturday 26^th March 2022 Bedford Borough Council is hosting the Residents’ Fair as part of the Mayor’s Climate Action Event where you can find out how to take steps to reduce your household's carbon emissions.

The event will feature a range of stalls held by local organisations and businesses that have a commitment to reach Net-Zero.

Come and find out more on Saturday 26^th March, between 10am and 4pm in the Harpur Suite, Bedford Corn Exchange and Harpur Square, Bedford Town Centre. 

Visit our Climate Action Event webpage for more information. 

Click here for more on bin collections and recycling

This bulletin has been sent to you by Recycling & Waste at Bedford Borough Council

Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP

environment.helpdesk@bedford.gov.uk

01234 718060