chickens are wasted in the UK each year. Of this, 5.7% was textiles and shoes, so about 895,000 tonnes. 50 million. Broken down by sector, this waste was comprised of: Food is one of the most preventable waste products sent to landfill. This makes up about 2.5 million tonnes of UK food waste. FACT Number 1. Between 2015 and 2017 surplus food redistributed from retailers, manufacturers and hospitality and food services businesses increased by 50%, with nearly 130 million worth of food saved from waste. (Cheaper Waste) Total food waste in the UK fell by the equivalent of 7% per person between 2017 and 2020. The costs and benefits of food waste reduction The UK throws away at least 10 million tonnes of food every year, of which 6 million tonnes is avoidable and has a retail value of 17 billion. The UK generated 222.2 million tonnes of total waste in 2018, an increase of 1.8% from the 218.3 million tonnes generated in 2016. It is estimated that the UK generated 43.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste in 2018, of which 37.2 million tonnes (85%) was generated in England. Food waste is food that we don't eat. [ WRAP ] Other hospitality sectors food waste contributions include quick-service restaurants (8.3%), education (13%), staff catering (2%), and healthcare (13%). Facts about food waste. Lets start with unavoidable food waste, like bones, skin and peelings. As of 2021, approximately 82.7% of our primary packaging materials, and 97.6% of our primary fiber packaging comes from recycled or certified sources, aiming for 100% certified, recycled or renewable materials by the end of 2025. According to the most recent report by the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the UK produced around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in 2018. Tesco food waste by category in the United Kingdom (UK) 2021/22 + Premium statistics Estimated amount of food waste Japan FY 2012-2020 Invest money into reducing food waste. Currently, businesses in the UK are only required to ensure food waste is hygienically disposed of, ensuring no cross-contamination with fresh food preparation, with no stipulation that it must be recycled. The UK pub chain and the Too Good To Go app went into partnership earlier this year to help reduce food waste from carvery meals across the country. How many landfills are in the UK? According to the Office of National Statistics, there are 123,395 restaurants in the UK. (The Guardian) Between 2015 and 2019, the number of UK residents who see food waste as an issue has risen from UK food waste contributes over 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. 2 The latest estimates for England only, indicate that C&I waste generation was around 37.2 million tonnes in 2019. Recent Progress. A study by savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk has revealed that the average UK household throws away 355.68 worth of food every year, equating to a startling 9.7billion across the country annually. Although the largest amounts come from agricultural and household means, restaurants alone contribute 199,100 tonnes of food waste, costing businesses 682 million each year. Heres a breakdown of where it occurs and how much: Farms: 2,000,000 tonnes Processing and manufacturing: 52,000-160,000 tonnes Wholesale and distribution: 80,000-120,000 tonnes Retail: 47,000-110,000 tonnes Figures from WRAP, Food waste in primary production in the UK, 2019 The waste hierarchy calls for food to feed people first How much waste is in the UK? Food waste puts a large burden on the finances of each household and local councils in the UK; wasted food is estimated to cost each British household 250400 per year, [55] accumulating to 15,00024,000 over a lifetime. According to DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), in 2016, 15.7 million tonnes of municipal non-industrial waste was sent to landfill in the UK. The app, which launched in April 2019, offers customers leftover carvery meals at half price. A survey conducted by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) found that every time a restaurant invested 1 into reducing their food waste, they saved 7 on average in operating costs. The average UK family spends 470 per year on food thats binned and not eaten. WRAP (2020a) estimates that in the UK the cost of avoidable food and drink waste is around 500 per household per year, or around 13.8 bn annually at the national level. Landfill is the second most used waste treatment in the UK, with 23.6% (50.8 million tonnes) of waste disposed of at landfill in 2018. Energy recovery at facilities with R1 accreditation increased to 8.5 million tonnes in 2018 from 7.3 million tonnes in 2016. One of the most commonly wasted food in the UK are potatoes; 5.8 million whole potatoes! Bubble and squeak anyone?! Right at the top of the food waste chain is bread, too. We waste almost 900,000 tonnes of bread every year which is a mind-blowing 24 million slices every day. 470. the money an average UK family spends on food which is binned , not eaten. The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year even though 8.4 million people in the UK are in food poverty. WRAP estimates that in 2018, total annual food waste across the UK reached 9.5 million tonnes. The UK government has reaffirmed its commitment to halving the amount of food waste generated in the UK by 2030. Meal planning and food sharing apps can help tackle food waste and save money. Each year, food waste costs restaurants 682 million and overall, restaurants produce 915,400 tonnes of waste which includes 199,100 tonnes of foodwaste. Restaurants produce 915,400 tonnes of waste each year, including 199,100 tonnes of food waste (22% of total food waste from the sector), representing a cost of 682 million each year. In the UK, households waste 6.6. million tonnes of food and 4.5 million tonnes of that is edible food - products that could have been eaten . The UK government has reaffirmed its commitment to halving the amount of food waste generated in the UK by 2030. The UK was responsible for 9.52 million tonnes of food waste in 2018, according to a study by the sustainable charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). This makes up about 2.5 million tonnes of UK food waste. [56] This comes from the total purchasing cost of the food against what is thrown away uneaten. How much food waste is there? (The Guardian) The total volume of UK food waste stood at 9.5 million tonnes in 2018, down from 10 million tonnes in 2015 and 11.2 million tonnes in 2007. More than 900 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year, according to a global report. UK food waste contributes over 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. This represents a 600% Return on Investment (ROI). You play a part in reaching the national food waste reduction goal to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030 (see U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions Initiative). Essentially, this is because of food waste that is entirely avoidable. In developing the business case for the voluntary Courtauld 2025 agreement. The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year even though 8.4 million people in the UK are defined as being in food poverty. ( Business Waste) 4.5 million tonnes of the food thrown away by UK households is considered edible. This is enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins, or 90 Royal Albert Halls. After a trial last year Greene King estimates over 1,000 carvery dinners have been saved from being wasted. That amount of food waste could fill 190 Royal Albert Halls , and weighs more than 112 million average British men which is way more people than live in the UK, let alone men. The UK is a proud world leader in tackling food waste, owing in part to the innovation and creativity of many organisations across the UK - from educating the public on food waste in our homes, to making our supply chains greener. What about the supermarkets? Solution #1: feed unavoidable food waste to pigs. 70% of UK food waste was intended for human consumption, 30% is inedible parts. 1. It is estimated that 70% of this total was intended to be consumed by people, with 30% classified as inedible parts. The UK wastes almost 10 million tonnes of food every year. Almost 2 million tonnes come from the food industry, and currently less than 1% is Research published in 2016 shows that 10 million tonnes of food and drink is wasted in the post-farm gate food chain each year in the UK and 60% of that could be avoided. That means the average cost of food waste per restaurant is approximately 5,500 per year. Solution #1: feed unavoidable food waste to pigs. The highest proportion of this food waste (around 7 million tonnesor 70%) was produced by households. Along with the environmental factor, restaurants have a lot on their plate when it comes to tackling food waste. Almost a 1 loss on every meal can significantly impact on your total profits. Lets start with unavoidable food waste, like bones, skin and peelings.