Around 1.9 million tonnes of food are wasted by the food industry every year in the UK alone, and a whopping 250,000 tonnes of that food is still edible at the time of going to waste. This is obviously a big issue, for both the environment, and for the many people in the UK who still go hungry.
Luckily, there are plenty of inspiring initiatives that have been set up to help tackle this problem, from methods to turn waste food into energy, to companies set up to deliver excess food to local charities. If you want to know more about how we tackle food waste in the UK, then read on for some of the most interesting and inspiring projects.
FareShare Charity
FareShare is the largest UK charity committed to tackling food waste, and they focus on fighting food waste and hunger simultaneously, by redistributing surplus food and turning it into meals. The charity currently has 22 regional centres all across the UK, and they provided enough food for 46.5 million meals in the last year alone.
Turning waste food into biogas
It’s possible to convert waste food into a fuel known as biogas, which can then be used to generate electricity and heat. It’s converted using a process called anaerobic digestion; this creates the renewable energy and also saves the food from being sent to landfill. Wasted food can also be used to create biofertilizer byproducts; this returns vital nutrients to the soil and helps more crops to grow.
Too Good to Go app
This handy app connects customers with businesses and restaurants to buy food which would otherwise be thrown away – at a heavily discounted price. Many popular chains are registered, including big names such as Yo Sushi and Patisserie Valerie, plus hotels, independent shops and cafes. The app is available to use worldwide, including across the UK, Spain, Australia, France and more.
Supermarket pledges
Over 100 UK food businesses and organisations signed a pledge in June 2019, stating that they would make more of an effort to drive down their food waste, in response to a call from the government. Large companies including Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose have all agreed to halve their food waste by 2030.
One of the most effective ways to help tackle food waste is by making sure you recycle it properly, so if you’re in need of food waste disposal and recycling services in London, get in touch with Brewsters. Our specialist services are designed to help businesses manage the amount of food waste they produce, and ensure that as much as possible is recycled instead of being sent to landfill. We’ll deliver your waste to a local anaerobic digestion facility so it can be turned into renewable energy, and we can help you with advice about how to reduce your carbon footprint. If you want to know more about our food recycling services, give us a call today or visit our website.