Watch Your Waste - Research reveals over half of Plymouth households waste over £100 worth of food each year
Grocery prices may recently have risen at their fastest rate in four years,[1] but over half of Plymouth households continue to spend money on food they don’t use. This is according to the latest research from furniture fittings specialist Häfele.
While recent headlines have highlighted the big-name supermarkets’ efforts to combat unnecessary waste, Häfele’s poll of over 2000 respondents showed that UK households are struggling to follow suit. The research revealed that 53% of respondents in Plymouth regularly throw away up to £10 worth of food every month.
The survey also showed that more than one tenth of Plymouth households (15%) waste between £11 and £20 worth of food each month, while a further 6% throw away £21 to £60 worth.
Chloë Thacker, Marketing Director, Häfele UK, comments: “At a time when UK households are feeling the pinch, spending every penny wisely is more important than ever. Often, the key to cutting unnecessary waste lies in effective kitchen organisation, particularly when it comes to storage.
”Packed pantries and crammed cupboards can lead to items being forgotten as they get pushed to the back of the shelf but this needn’t be the case. There are so many clever solutions which can help to optimise kitchen storage space. For example, pull-out or swing-out shelving enables the full contents of the cupboard to be seen. Or useful drawer storage, in the form of bread or vegetable baskets, can also help to keep things organised, allowing you to use up produce while it is still fresh.
“Of course, eliminating waste completely is unrealistic for any household, but, by following the supermarkets’ example, we too can take steps to minimise it and recycle as much as possible. The key to effective recycling lies in separating rubbish properly and there are so many effective solutions, including discreet, compartmentalised bins, which make the process simple.
Chloë concludes: “Getting into good habits at the beginning of a new year can lead to less wastage throughout the year – and more money in your pocket.”
[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-households-supermarke...
