New research reveals shocking extent of Christmas food waste
Nearly 100 million sprouts are expected to end up in the bin this festive season as around one in six Brits admit that they plan to jettison the opinion-dividing veggies this December.
This amount equates to the weight of 77 double decker buses, nearly the size of Manchester (115km2) or more than the distance from Cornwall to John o’ Groats via London and back again (if every sprout was lined up one after another.)
A nationwide survey of 2,000 Brits commissioned by One Billion Lives and YouGov found that Christmas puddings are also at risk, with nearly one in five Brits claiming that a decent portion will end up in the bin come January.
A fear of running out of food is driving Brits to overstock this Christmas, with 72 per cent of respondents claiming “it’s better to have too much than not enough.” One in ten also revealed that they wouldn’t know how to give away their leftovers to people who want or need them, and instead one in three would throw them in the bin.
Depressingly, when it comes to knowing what to do with spare Christmas pudding or that spare tray of mince pies, only 3 per cent said they would give it to neighbours or a local food bank.
Tessa Clarke, co-founder of food sharing app and social enterprise, OLIO, says that while this new research is a stark reminder that the food waste issue starts at home, there are simple steps we can take to reduce our food waste footprint this season.
She said: “We now know that 50 per cent of all food waste takes place in the home and unfortunately, we find that Christmas only exacerbates the issue. However, the research also reveals that a third (33 per cent) of Brits feel a sense of guilt about the amount of food that they’re wasting. This tells us that people are highly aware of the issue and are looking for ways to reduce their food waste.”
