// Tesco says the average British family is wasting approximately £800 worth of edible food a year
// Three quarters of UK households (77%) say they throw away unopened or unused food
Tesco has found that the average British family is wasting approximately £800 worth of edible food a year.
The nationwide study reveals three quarters of UK households (77%) say they throw away unopened or unused food, more than a third (37%) doing so on at least a monthly basis and a staggering half a million people are throwing away food they forgot to eat or never opened on a daily basis.
The research revealed the top items most commonly wasted in UK homes includes chicken breasts; potatoes; sliced bread; lettuce; milk and bananas.
READ MORE: Tesco to swap plastic packaging for loose fruit and veg
Over three in five (61%) are now planning to shop more carefully and only buy what they need. While many (45%) want to take steps to reduce the amount of food they waste at home, the research has found that lack of time, planning and understanding about what they can cook, and by when, is getting in the way.
To help families battle their binning and make their food and money go further, Tesco has teamed up with Unilever brand, Hellmann’s, to create a ‘Use Up Day’ campaign. This will be to encourage the nation to – once a week – cook a meal using up food they already have in their kitchen.
The campaign will dish up a range of resources for consumers including a ‘Use Up Day’ guide to help families find their perfect ‘Use Up Day’ and a variety of recipes that make use of commonly thrown away ingredients. Tesco’s recipe finder tool can also help shoppers discover new recipes in seconds by inputting spare, leftover and unused ingredients.
For shoppers eager to reduce waste and spend less, Tesco’s new food waste hub also includes money saving tips and advice on how to make batch-cooking a budget-friendly game-changer that turns your freezer into your new best friend.
Kené Umeasiegbu, Campaigns Director from Tesco said: “No one sets out to waste food but all too often hectic lifestyles, changing plans or just plain forgetfulness can mean good food ends up in the bin and money down the drain. We know that right now every little helps that’s why we are launching our ‘Use Up Day’ campaign to help our customers spend less and cut waste by using food already in their kitchen.
“We recognise that lack of time and the perception that you need to be a skilled cook can be a barrier to taking action. It’s why a ‘Use Up Day’ is straightforward and easy to implement – using recipes that are quick, tasty and help you make your food go further today.”
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