Hart District Council is supporting the Food Standards Agency to crackdown on the amount of food waste produced this Christmas through the ‘Freezer Fairy’ campaign.
In the UK we throw away seven million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, most of which could have been eaten. Wasting food costs the average household £470 a year. During the festive season the volume of food being prepared (and potentially wasted) peaks, when many consumers are catering for large groups of friends and family.
This Christmas campaign focuses on educating people on how to use their freezer effectively to help reduce food waste safely. Tips include using the portion planner on the Love Food Hate Waste website (www.lovefoodhatewaste.com), cooking your turkey before Christmas and freezing it in portions so you to take out what you need when you need it, preparing all your veg in advance and freezing it, and to help make food go further, you can make your leftovers into new meals then freeze them.
Speaking about the campaign, Cllr John Kennett Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services at Hart District Council, said: “Christmas can be a busy and stressful time. While 43% of people feel that buying presents is their main worry, cooking Christmas dinner ranks as second along with family arguments. By planning ahead and using these smart ideas from the ‘Freezer Fairy’ you will be able to plan better over the festive period making it less stressful, reduce the amount of food wasted and keep the costs down.”
For more information and top tips from the ‘Freezer Fairy’ this Christmas please visit www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/campaigns/freezer-fairy. For more general information on reducing your food waste please visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.
