Campaign urges public to save food, save money and save the planet

Around 600,000 tonnes of household food waste goes to landfill every year and only one third of adults understand the link between food waste and climate change.

The Scottish Government’s Food Waste campaign has been launched again with a new message encouraging people to save food, save money and save the earth.

When food waste is not recycled and ends up in landfill, it decomposes and produces methane - a greenhouse gas that is more harmful than carbon dioxide.

If recycled, it can be turned into green energy and used to power Scotland’s homes.

More people than ever planned and managed their food better in 2020 during the pandemic with searches for ‘Food Waste’ by Scots increasing by 89% on last year.

This new drive aims to show that more action is needed to reduce and recycle food waste to help Scotland reach net zero and stop contributing to climate change.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater and Iain Gulland from Zero Waste Scotland launched the campaign.

The minister said: “In the ongoing climate emergency, it’s impossible to ignore the global issue of food waste. That’s why the Scottish Government is investing in projects to reduce food waste and improve recycling facilities, but we all have a role to play.

"We can all do more to reduce and recycle food waste, cutting emissions and helping Scotland on our journey to net zero.”

As part of the campaign, a new handy guide has been created - 22 Food-Saving Wins to inspire and help people take action on food waste in 2022 and beyond. The guide includes top tips, information and advice.

The new ‘Save Food. Save Money. Save the Earth.’ initiative showcases quick and simple steps people can take to reduce their food waste and recycle the waste they cannot avoid from banana skins to eggshells.

Not only can Scots help save the earth, but each household could also save approximately £440 per year.

Further details about the campaign, and copies of the guide, are available at netzeronation.scot.

Zero Waste Scotland Chief Executive Iain Gulland, said: “Scottish households continue to throw away a staggering amount of food waste, totalling £1.1billion in unnecessary food and drink purchases each year.

“We can all play our part by making simple, sustainable, changes - such as meal planning, storing food correctly, checking the cupboards for ingredients before hitting the shops, and getting inventive with leftovers.

“Getting food onto our plates is a resource intensive process – so, when food is thrown out, all the raw materials are also wasted. We can have a huge, positive, impact on the climate by stopping perfectly edible food from going to waste in the first place.”