Brits Bin 7 Million Tonnes Of Food A Year – Here's How To Shop Less Wastefully

How many of us have uncovered a sorry looking bagged salad from the depths of our fridge or been forced to chuck a long-forgotten and half-eaten tin of beans or pasta sauce because we forgot it was there? That’ll be everyone.

According to the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, we bin seven million tonnes of food every year in the UK. And after conducting new research that indicates 20% of the food we buy ends up in the bin, it has launched a campaign to remind customers to shop savvy to save on food waste.

It has also found one in four people struggle to buy the right amount of food. Here’s what you can do to reduce the food you bin.

Buy only what you need – go for smaller packs or single items where you can.

Wasted food costs money – roughly £230 per person every year in the UK according to Love Food Hate Waste. The campaign is calling on people to change their shopping habits – beginning with cutting down on over-buying.

Instead of grabbing a bottle of milk “just in case” on the way home, work out what you need. Or if you’re making a recipe that needs just one onion, a handful of potatoes or a couple of apples, consider buying them loose instead of in bulk – when they might end up languishing at the back of the cupboard until you chuck them out.

[Read More: 3 Apps If You Care About Food Waste And Like Cheap Eats]

Check your fridge, freezer and cupboards before you go shopping.

30% of people say they don’t check their fridge before they go out to the shops, and nearly half of us forget to check the freezer, according to the new research – but it can really help to know what you’ve already got in your cupboards before hitting the supermarket and wasting money on extra food.

Make a list of what you’ve got or, if lists aren’t your thing, take a photo of the contents of your fridge – or as it’s been dubbed, a #FridgeShelfie to remind you.

“We’ve found a lot of people don’t check their fridge or freezer before going shopping so can double up,” a Love Food Hate Waste spokesperson told HuffPost UK. “By buying what you need, you can save your food from the bin – helping your pocket and our planet.”