Bread binned could fill a double decker bus a day
Every day in Surrey people throw out enough bread to fill a double decker bus.
And enough salad will be binned in the county this summer to fill an Olympic size swimming pool.
The startling statistics form part of Surrey County Council’s Love Food Surrey campaign which is encouraging people to waste less food.
Through shopping smarter and reusing leftovers, it’s estimated the average family could save up to £50 on their monthly shopping bill.
John Furey, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “It’s startling to discover exactly how much food is thrown in the bin, much of which is wasted. For example, this summer people in Surrey will throw away enough potatoes to cover six football pitches.
“I know it may seem easier to simply throw away leftovers. To help out, our Love Food Surrey campaign is providing easy hints and tips, recipe ideas and shopping advice on how to waste less and slash shopping bills.”
Each year, households in the UK throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food. Wasting less food benefits the environment and reduces the burden on the taxpayer.
In Surrey alone, more than 80,000 tonnes of food is thrown away each year which costs taxpayers £6.7 million to deal with.
Across the nation this summer enough potatoes will be binned to cover 139 football pitches.
For food waste that can’t be avoided, residents are urged to use their kerbside food waste collection service. By collecting food separately from general waste it can be processed in a more environmentally friendly way and turned into fertiliser.
For more information on the Love Food Surrey campaign visit http://www.lovefoodsurrey.com/
