‘More damaging than people realise’: Almost three million households shunning food waste bins
Waitrose research finds that a fifth of households that have access to kerbside food waste collections are not taking advantage of them
Millions of households across the UK want to see food waste collections made available in their area, but at the same time nearly three million households with access to kerbside food waste collections are failing to take advantage of the service.
That is the conclusion of new research from supermarket Waitrose, which surveyed 2,000 households and found 21 per cent with access to food waste recycling still throw leftover food into the regular waste bin.
Nearly half this group blamed their lack of action on a mistrust of their local authorities to recycle it properly, while 29 per cent admitted that separating food waste from general waste was too much effort. A fifth of the same group said they remained sceptical about the impact food waste actually has on the environment.
The findings suggest around 2.9 million households with access to food waste collections are routinely failing to make use of them.
However, at the same time 58 per cent of those who do not have access to food waste collections want to see them introduced in their area. Moreover, a third said the government should do more to standardise recycling collections across the country and make it easier for people to dispose of food waste responsibly. Currently, only around half of households have access to kerbside food waste collections.
The UK generates an estimated 9.52 million tonnes of food waste each year, which makes a significant contribution to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and also leads to increased use of water, energy, and fertiliser.
Food waste collected by councils is sent to anaerobic digestion plants, which turn the waste into low carbon biogas and digestate that can be used as fertiliser.
Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, said there many good reasons for people to make use of food waste collections wherever they are available.
“When we throw food away, we waste the precious resources it’s taken to grow, package and transport it – and as it rots in landfill, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide,” she said. “The simple action of throwing food in the bin is therefore more damaging to our planet than people often realise. Ideally, we should strive to eliminate food waste entirely but if necessary, it’s critical that households that have access to curbside food waste collection actually use it.”
She added that Waitrose was also taking steps to help people reduce their food waste. “It’s encouraging that more households are interested in finding more ways to manage their food waste impact and we’re doing what we can to make it easier for our customers to do more,” she said. “Whether it’s offering them more loose produce, selling more misshapen fruit and veg through our ‘Wonderfully Wonky’ range or continuing to provide inspiration such as leftover tips and recipes during key times like Food Waste Action Week, we are committed to doing everything we can to help the public reduce their household food waste.”
