GECYCLE at Home; Food Waste
How much food are we throwing away?
In UK households we waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, 4.5 million of which is edible.Those 4.5 million tonnes are enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins, or 90 Royal Albert Halls.
The average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste.
The top 5 Most common food we throw away
1. Bananas
2. Milk
3. Chicken & Poultry
4. Potatoes
5. Bread
Tips to reduce food waste at home?
We work closely with Too Good To Go who have recently launched a campaign called ‘look, taste, smell don’t waste’, to fight food waste.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and to give clarity to date labels on food packaging. Date labels can mislead us to throw perfectly edible food in the bin; instead of using our senses
USE BY
What does it mean? Indicates that the food item is safe to eat until this date. Eating the item past this date may put your health at risk.
Where is it used? On chilled, fresh and perishable items.
So what do I do? Once opened, follow advice on packaging such as ‘eat within three days of opening’ or freeze it to extend its life.
BEST BEFORE OR BEST BY
What does it mean? Indicates that the food item is at its optimal quality until this date. It may still be safe to eat after this date, though it might have lost some of its flavour or texture. The date is purely an estimation from the manufacturer on when food is at its peak quality.
Where is it used? On a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and canned food items.
So what do I do? The best before date will only be accurate if you store the item according to the instructions on the label (i.e store in a cool, dry place). Once opened, treat the item as fresh and follow advice such as ‘eat within three days of opening’.
Use your senses to assess if a 'best before' product is still good to eat. Some items may get mouldy, taste sour, or have an unpleasant smell. Therefore, use all three of your senses: look, smell and taste.
Meal planning
Lockdown is the perfect time to meal plan as there is less chances of spontaneous eating out moments! We have come up with a planner you can use to help you schedule your weekly meals and use up products that are going out of date soon. Click below to download!
Gecycle Meal Planner
.pdf
Download PDF • 62KB
Freezing
Freezing can help reduce food waste by extending the shelf life to be eaten another time, here are some basic rules to follow:
® Freeze food as soon as you can to keep the freshness
® Always check the label for freezing duration
® Ensure food is wrapped up thoroughly using a reusable freezer bag or container and label
Competition Win a case of Dash Water!
Click here to read more about dash!
For your chance to win a case of dash waters simply answer the following question;
Q: What type of fruit and vegetables do Dash water use in their drinks?
Submit your answer to faye@goodeatingcompany.com by 16th March 2021 to be in with a chance!