Food and drink waste costs households in Scotland £1.3 billion annually, new research released by Zero Waste Scotland has found.
In 2021/22, wasted food and drink cost Scottish households £1.3 billion, according to the research, which equates to £480 per household annually. Food wasted from evening meals made up 40% of all household food waste, the research found.
Zero Waste Scotland found that food waste is the leading cause of damage to biodiversity and land use change, and second only to textiles as the leading contributor to water consumption and climate change impacts.
Food waste contributes to almost three-quarters of the land use impacts of all household waste, according to the research.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, commented: “These findings really bring home the staggering impact our food system has, not just on climate change, but on the environment as a whole.
These findings really bring home the staggering impact our food system has, not just on climate change, but on the environment as a whole.
“But responsibility can’t just fall to consumers; we need everyone – from decision-makers to welfare organisations to businesses and brands – to raise the profile of food waste as an issue and work together to tackle it.”
Recent analysis found that in 2021/22, households in Scotland disposed of 86kg of food per person – 460,000 tonnes in total. Of the 460,000 tonnes of household food waste, 73% was edible.
The research also found that people don’t see food waste as a climate issue.
Zero Waste Scotland has released the research after confirming it will lead on the development of a Household Intervention Plan for Food Waste Reduction in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Commenting on the research, Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin, said: “This research highlights the wide-ranging environmental impact that waste from Scottish households has on the world around us, including on our climate, air quality and biodiversity.
“The findings highlight where Scotland has made good progress to reduce these impacts, and where we must focus our efforts to drive further progress, such as tackling food waste.”