Scotland has a target of reducing food waste by 33% by 2025. Food waste is a global problem with an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food being wasted every year. This is around one third for all that is produced for human consumption, and it is generating about 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Taking time to plan and reduce food waste is also good for your financial wellbeing and can help you save money. Scotland throws away 630,000 tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year and most of this could have been eaten. This waste costs us over £1 billion a year, or £470 for the average household. By planning our shopping and by using recipes that are out there to help use leftovers we can all help to reduce the size of our food waste mountain! From stovies to over-ripe banana loaf, there are plenty of really tasty things you can make with food that might seem past its best.
A lower carbon footprint
Here are a few ways that you can help reduce your carbon footprint in your food choices:
- Buy fresh, local, and seasonal produce.
- Use one of the refill shops to purchase dried goods and other household products to reduce packaging.
- Check out the food recycling apps to see which local shops are selling reduced cost food at the end of the day.
- Buy sustainable fish, check out Edinburgh Fish City which commits fishmongers and merchants to greater traceability and promote more sustainable options.
Food recycling and sharing Apps
There are many apps that will provide information on how to find surplus food or to manage your own food to reduce food waste.
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- Olio is free to download and operates like a “freecycle” for food. There is also a business platform to support food businesses to redistribute surplus food to local communities.
- Too Good To Go is free to download and connects consumers to restaurants, cafes, shops, cafes and bakeries that would otherwise be thrown away – this excess is sold on the app in the form of a surprise “magic bag”.
Recycling food
What happens to your food waste?
Food waste from Edinburgh residents goes to the food waste treatment facility at Millerhill and into an anaerobic digester. It breaks it down and produces gas, which is used to power Millerhill and goes into the national grid.
Do you know that Edinburgh’s recycled food waste “boils 1.75 million kettles”.
Information on Edinburgh’s waste
Edinburgh by Numbers 2021 presents data comparing Edinburgh against other cities and over time. Environmental data shows household waste in tonnes and renewable electricity capacity.
How to manage your food waste
- Food waste is collected weekly along with other bins from your kerbside. There are communal food waste bins in areas where residents don’t have wheelie bins. All food being put in the grey lidded food bin must be bagged. You can use any small plastic food bag in the food caddy such as a carrier bag, bread bag or a compostable liner.
- Too good to waste, FAQs from Changeworks details what to put in your food bin and why it’s important to use your food caddy.
- Request a new or replacement bin
- You can also compost certain kinds of food and garden waste to turn this into free fertiliser. It can help to prevent soil erosion, improve crop yields, and recycle nutrients back into your soil. Changeworks provide a helpful guide on how to compost at home.
- Love Food Hate Waste has some great recipes and advice on how to make the most of what is sitting in the bottom of your fridge and how you can reduce your food bills.
Food Waste Resources
Information from Changeworks, an environmental charity who offer solutions and services for low carbon living. Advice on home composting also available.
Circular Coffee Scotland aims to find ways to upcycle coffee waste instead of contributing to carbon emissions. CCS is a community of people and organisations working together to take the production and consumption of coffee in a fully sustainable direction
Circular Edinburgh is managed by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and works to investigate the opportunities around the circular economy and the support on offer for businesses including sectoral information sheets.
Kitchen tips to help you make the most of your food and reduce your domestic food waste.
The Real Junk Food Project, Edinburgh
Part of a UK-wide network to raise awareness of the issue of food waste, help people to eat and cook better and instigate change towards a more sustainable, efficient and just food system. The project intercepts perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to waste and serve it in creative ways in pop-up cafes and community projects across the city.
Resources for individuals, food and drink businesses, schools. Get tips and advice on preventing food waste, reducing costs and supporting the Scottish Government’s target of reducing food waste by 33% by 2025.