Waste not, want not? Food for thought
Christmas dinner = leftovers! Emma Hills provides ways we can reduce our food waste at Christmas and for good.
Food waste is a massive issue in the UK but it becomes even worse at Christmas. Seeing the Christmas food come into stock is very exciting for everyone but people worry that it will run out, causing a massive increase in purchases. We all love Christmas food but the sheer quantity that we end up with is quite incredible. All too often, some of this food ends up in the bin. So, how can we decrease our food waste at Christmas this year?
We all love a good bargain but sometimes we don’t need that extra box of mince pies or that extra tub of Quality Street. Shops use special offers as a marketing tactic and they usually reduce it just enough so that you feel the necessity to buy just one more of something. We all get tempted, for different reasons, to buy that little bit extra. This food will often end up going to waste and being disposed of in ways that aren’t very eco-friendly, so only buy what you need and what will get eaten and not put to waste. There are easy ways to do this such as planning meals day by day and checking the dates carefully on the items that you buy. When you are standing in the Christmas aisle this year, try your best to resist the temptation of these offers and only buy what you know you need and will actually eat.
Something that probably everyone is guilty of is just picking something up and not checking when it goes out of date, leading to food waste. As tedious as it may seem, it only takes a few seconds of your time to check the packaging and it could massively contribute to the decrease in food waste around Christmas time. We’ve all come home with many bags of shopping and then realised we have nowhere to put it. It happens to the best of us but there are easy ways to avoid this. Before you go shopping, make sure that you have a free shelf in the cupboards and some space in the fridge and freezer. It is good to buy Christmas food a little bit ahead of time, so make sure that you have room for it.
Usually when we go to family or friends for Christmas we feel obliged to bring something along with us just out of politeness and decency but as lovely as this is, it can also be contributing to food waste. For example, if you have six guests and they all bring something, then you could end up with a lot of excess food that isn’t likely to be eaten and therefore wasted. If you are a host and you have lots of people coming, maybe let them know that it isn’t a necessity for them to bring a tasty snack along with them as you already have what you need. If people do bring some food, it is always important to be grateful and not lose that Christmas cheer.
All the Christmas food on the table isn’t likely to be eaten in one sitting or one day but instead of throwing it away, you could reuse your leftovers by making a turkey sandwich in the evening or frying up some tasty bubble and squeak. How you use your leftovers is down to you as long as food isn’t going to waste. Just at Christmas alone, 2 million turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies are wasted (https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/). These are shocking figures but if you follow some of these easy steps, you could help reduce food waste in the UK at Christmas.
For more information about food waste just look up 'food waste in the UK' and you will find lots of websites and articles that suggest excellent ways to make use of your leftovers.
A very Merry Christmas to you!
Emma Hills, Y10
Food waste is a massive issue in the UK but it becomes even worse at Christmas. Seeing the Christmas food come into stock is very exciting for everyone but people worry that it will run out, causing a massive increase in purchases. We all love Christmas food but the sheer quantity that we end up with is quite incredible. All too often, some of this food ends up in the bin. So, how can we decrease our food waste at Christmas this year?
We all love a good bargain but sometimes we don’t need that extra box of mince pies or that extra tub of Quality Street. Shops use special offers as a marketing tactic and they usually reduce it just enough so that you feel the necessity to buy just one more of something. We all get tempted, for different reasons, to buy that little bit extra. This food will often end up going to waste and being disposed of in ways that aren’t very eco-friendly, so only buy what you need and what will get eaten and not put to waste. There are easy ways to do this such as planning meals day by day and checking the dates carefully on the items that you buy. When you are standing in the Christmas aisle this year, try your best to resist the temptation of these offers and only buy what you know you need and will actually eat.
Something that probably everyone is guilty of is just picking something up and not checking when it goes out of date, leading to food waste. As tedious as it may seem, it only takes a few seconds of your time to check the packaging and it could massively contribute to the decrease in food waste around Christmas time. We’ve all come home with many bags of shopping and then realised we have nowhere to put it. It happens to the best of us but there are easy ways to avoid this. Before you go shopping, make sure that you have a free shelf in the cupboards and some space in the fridge and freezer. It is good to buy Christmas food a little bit ahead of time, so make sure that you have room for it.
Usually when we go to family or friends for Christmas we feel obliged to bring something along with us just out of politeness and decency but as lovely as this is, it can also be contributing to food waste. For example, if you have six guests and they all bring something, then you could end up with a lot of excess food that isn’t likely to be eaten and therefore wasted. If you are a host and you have lots of people coming, maybe let them know that it isn’t a necessity for them to bring a tasty snack along with them as you already have what you need. If people do bring some food, it is always important to be grateful and not lose that Christmas cheer.
All the Christmas food on the table isn’t likely to be eaten in one sitting or one day but instead of throwing it away, you could reuse your leftovers by making a turkey sandwich in the evening or frying up some tasty bubble and squeak. How you use your leftovers is down to you as long as food isn’t going to waste. Just at Christmas alone, 2 million turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies are wasted (https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/). These are shocking figures but if you follow some of these easy steps, you could help reduce food waste in the UK at Christmas.
For more information about food waste just look up 'food waste in the UK' and you will find lots of websites and articles that suggest excellent ways to make use of your leftovers.
A very Merry Christmas to you!
Emma Hills, Y10