Love Food Hate Waste

Pendle Council is supporting the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign this winter, and is encouraging residents to do the same.

Love Food Hate Waste is all about making the most of the food we have. It encourages us to only buy and cook the food we need and to avoid throwing away food that could be eaten.

Whatever food you love, we can help you waste less, save the environment and up to £50 a month.

We can all do our bit to save the planet and our pockets. In the UK we throw away around 7.2 million tonnes of food every year. Most is, or once was, perfectly good food that could have been eaten. Little by little, all this waste really adds up and has a significant impact on the environment.

Much of the food we waste ends up in landfill where it rots and releases methane, a damaging greenhouse gas. It's also a huge waste of resources, which is a much bigger problem for the planet. Just think about all the energy, water and packaging used in food production, transportation and storage.

Did you know the water used all over the world to grow, feed and make the food we throw away every year is more than all of the water used in UK homes?

And if we all stopped throwing away food that could be eaten it would save as much carbon as taking 1 in 5 cars off UK roads.

But as well as the environmental impact, throwing away food hits us right in the wallet. The average family can save up to £50 a month by getting better at managing what's in their fridge and kitchen cupboards.

Here are some quick and easy ways to make the most of your food.

• It pays to plan - Planning your meals is one of the best ways to cut food waste. Before you go shopping check what's in your fridge, freezer and store cupboard. Write a shopping list before you head out and stick to it - it can save time and money.
• Know your dates - The 'use by' date is key in terms of food safety. Never eat food after this date. 'Best before' dates refer to quality rather than food safety. One exception is eggs - never eat eggs after the 'best before' date. You can ignore the 'display until' date, it's there to help shop staff with stock control.
• Getting to know your freezer - You don't have to freeze food on the day you buy it - you can freeze it before the 'use by' date then defrost and use within 24 hours.
• Savvy storage - Always follow the storage guidance on food packs to enjoy your food at its best.
• Perfect portions - Make sure you use the right portions. An averaged-sized mug is great for measuring uncooked rice - one adult portion is about a quarter of a mug. Don't worry if you cook too much food, you can freeze leftovers or eat them for lunch the next day.

For more tips, advice and tasty recipes for your leftovers, go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

For food hygiene advice on storing and using leftovers visit our Food Safety in the Home pages.