Sustainable September - challenge yourself

According to food charity WRAP, around 4.7 million tonnes of edible food is wasted by UK households each year. 

In a recent study, we discovered that 8,000 tonnes of edible food waste in Kingston was being thrown away every year. That’s just over 5 cars worth of food that could have been eaten.

Not only is this bad for our bank accounts, working out at around £1000 a year for a four person household, it is also bad for the planet.

This is because all this food waste creates an estimated 18 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions, feeding climate change.

This is why we’re encouraging everyone to take part in our 10 day food challenge. With a little planning and some simple changes, you could save money, cut food waste, protect the planet and pick up some new recipes in the process.

Sounds good? Here’s how to get involved:

1 - Measure:

• For the first five days of the challenge, spend some time getting to know the food that tends to go to waste at home. 
• What is it? Vegetable peelings? Food past its sell by date? Unwanted leftovers? 
• Print a copy of our food waste log (or make your own!) and make a note of everything you put in your food waste bin each day. Contact climate@kingston.gov.uk if you require this log in another format.
• If you’re new to using a food waste bin, take a look at our website to see the sorts of things you can use it for.

2 - Read:

• During these first five days, visit the Love Food Hate Waste and Eat Like a Londoner websites. 
• They each have loads of great tips and advice to help you make the most of the food you buy, ensuring that as little as possible goes to waste. For example, you could plan your meals ahead of time, change the way you store food, find recipes which are great for leftovers and more.
• Use the log to make a note of which tips and ideas you’re going to use for the last five days of the challenge.

3 - Save:

• Armed with your new tips and ideas, continue to keep a record of what’s going into your food waste bin.
• Hopefully, there’ll be less each day!

4 - Send:

• Email us a photo or a scan of your completed food waste log to climate@kingston.gov.uk.
• Don't forget to include your name!

5 - Win:

• Everyone that sends in a completed food waste log will be entered into a lucky dip to win a prize.