Food waste reduction campaign

While Bexley residents already recycle 50% of their rubbish, research shows that 32% of food is still being thrown into residents’ non-recyclable household rubbish bins.

Food waste reduction is key to reducing our impact on the environment. Food waste is still a very serious issue within UK households.

Local people are being asked to help keep Bexley clean and green by using two food waste reduction APPS, Kitche and Olio.

Read the Kitche and Olio case study with Bexley 

Kitche app logo

Kitche

Kitche helps you to plan what is in your fridge and when it needs to be eaten by.

Download the free Kitche app available on both the App Store - Kitche and Google Play - Kitche.

Olio app logo

Olio

Olio is a platform for people to share any unwanted food.

Download the Olio app available on both the App Store - Olio and Google Play - Olio.

What is food waste?

Food waste is still a very serious issue

6.5 million

tonnes of food is wasted every year by UK households

4.5 million

tonnes of which is edible, enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins

80%

of food waste is thrown away in Bexley’s green general rubbish bins is avoidable and could have been eaten

48.5%

of all the food waste is thrown away in Bexley’s green general rubbish bins is still in its original packaging

What people throw away in their green general rubbish bins

Waste type%Percentage
Recyclable paper2.07%
 
Recyclable card & cardboard2.04%
 
Plastic bottles, pot, tubs and trays2.13%
 
Textiles9.68%
 
Glass2.35%
 
Metals4.13%
 
Garden waste0.56%
 
Recyclable food waste30.74%
 
Hazardous waste0.45%
 
Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment0.16%
 
Non-recyclable rubbish45.66%
 

What can you do?

We all need to be doing everything that we can to reduce food waste and think about how we could shop more mindfully. This will also save you money on your weekly shop.

meal plan Monday to Friday

Top tips on how to stay food-savvy

  1. Try not to overbuy
  2. Check the food that is in your fridge and plan to use the items that will go off first, this will also help prevent doubling up of food you already have
  3. Avoid excess food - you can get your portion sizes correct by using lovefoodhatewaste.com/portion-planner
  4. Plan your meals and food shopping -consider the space you need in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards to store your food
  5. Use up those leftovers go to love food hate waste for creative recipes
  6. Remember to use your freezer as almost every food can be frozen and used at a later date 

The best thing that can happen to food is that it makes it to our plates and is enjoyed

However, some food waste is inevitable, so please ensure all unavoidable food waste is placed in your food waste box.

Why recycle your food waste?

Recycling your food waste rather than putting it in your rubbish bin reduces rubbish and helps save money. When food waste is recycled, we do not have to pay for it to be processed. When it is placed in your general rubbish bin, it costs £120 a tonne to dispose of it.

Placing your food waste in your food box every week means you’re helping to protect local services like social care, libraries, and schools.

Food box

Food waste recycling box

Recycling your food waste has never been easier. We provide a convenient, free weekly food waste collection service.

If you have never recycled food waste before, or have in the past and have stopped, now is the time to take up food recycling again.

Order food box

Food waste reduction is key to reducing our impact on the environment and is still a very serious issue within UK households

The Council secured a grant of £40,000 from ReLondon to take part in the Food Flagship Initiative, a major three-year venture led by ReLondon in partnership with the Greater London Authority and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to show how food waste can be reduced in London.

ReLondon logo