How I’m Fighting Food Waste In The UK

Food waste is one of those issues that we don’t always notice, yet it happens right in front of us every day. Millions of tonnes of edible food are still thrown away each year, even though many families struggle to afford groceries. 

In the UK, "households waste 4.5 million tonnes of food every year", according to The Guardian (2024). That’s equivalent to billions of meals that could have been eaten. Realising that made me reflect on how I handle food in my own life both at home and at work.

At home, I’ve built a routine that helps me stay in control of what I buy and what I use. Every Sunday, I sit down and plan all my meals for the week. I write an exact shopping list and try to stick to it as much as possible. This way, I know what’s in my fridge and when I’ll eat it. Because of this habit, it’s extremely rare for me to throw away food. On the few occasions that I do end up with too much, I prefer to walk few minutes to the Tesco near my house and offer the food to the homeless.

Working in hospitality has also made me much more aware of how food waste happens on a larger scale. At Radisson, I’ve seen how busy operations can lead to food waste, especially in the staff canteen. However, I’ve also seen how quickly things improve when communication between departments is strong. When the kitchen team knows exactly how many staff are on shift and how many arrivals, they can prepare the right amount of food, this way, food waste drops dramatically. It’s all about teamwork.

I’ve also started exploring digital tools that make managing food easier. I’ve been using an app called Nosh, which tracks expiry dates and sends reminders before items go bad. It does help a lot my meal-planning habit and has helped me avoid those last-minute fridge surprises. 

Food is much more than something we eat, it represents effort, time, and care from everyone involved in producing it. Respecting it means valuing those efforts. And if we all did that a little more, there would be far less waste.

References: 

The Guardian (2024) UK households throw away 4.7m tonnes of edible food each year. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com

Nosh (2024) Smart Kitchen Management App. Available at: https://noshapp.co.uk