I WAS shocked to learn we throw away more than six million tonnes of food each year in the UK. That's like filling Wembley Stadium with food waste eight times over!
Families are wasting up to £50 a month on good food. Over a year, that's £600 — just think what you could do with that sort of money!
If we cut down on the amount of food we waste, not only would we be saving the environment, we would also be enjoying more cash in our pockets.
But how do we start cutting down on food waste? It's easy. By making a few simple changes to our shopping and cooking patterns, it can be done. For example, try and write a list next time you go shopping — and more importantly, stick to it! It's easy to get carried away when shopping but we should all try and buy just what we need.
If we cook too much when we make dinner, rather than consign it to the bin, how about using it as leftovers for the following day? This is a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste.
I'm supporting the South West Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which is encouraging people to make a pledge to try and cut our food waste. There's another great incentive to sign up – you can be in with the chance of winning some great prizes, including a gourmet weekend for four.
So what are you waiting for? Go to lovefoodhatewaste.com/southwest to make your pledge today.
Sharron Davies MBE
On behalf of Love Food Hate Waste