64% of people in the UK believe that some food waste at home is inevitable, a survey released by WRAP as part of Food Waste Action Week has found.
When asked why, the key reasons for most relate to food spoilage and expiration dates, the complexity and unpredictability of daily life, and issues with cooking and portion control.
The survey from WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign also showed that 80% of people believe they waste less food than the national average.
Catherine David, CEO at WRAP, said: “Of course, no one is choosing to waste food, which is why this Food Waste Action Week we are highlighting all the ways to ‘Make your food go fuuuuurther’ by giving people all the tips and tricks they need to fight food waste.”
By the end of Food Waste Action Week, WRAP has found an average household of four will have already thrown away £200 worth of food they could have eaten in 2026.
Every year, 4.4 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away from UK homes, generating 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
The total cost of food waste is £17 billion per year, which is £1,000 a year for an average household of four.
Circular Economy Minister Creagh commented: “Food Waste Action Week is a powerful reminder that tackling food waste is one of the simplest and most effective ways to cut costs for families and reduce our impact on the planet.”
“Our new Simpler Recycling reforms will make it easier for households to recycle their food waste – with all local authorities required to offer food waste collections from 31 March.”
