Spotlight on Waste
Welcome to the Zoology Department Green Initiative Team Spotlight on Waste
We are running this event over the whole of Lent term 2021, focusing on the following areas:
Home Waste
UK homes produce a collective 26,411,000 tonnes of waste per year [1], equating to over a tonne per household per year. Of all Economic Activity Classifications (18 in total), household waste ranks as the second highest contributor, after Construction (in 2016, latest statistics) [2]. The majority of this waste goes to landfill, with 45% being recycled, below the EU target of 50% by 2020. The recycling rate has decreased in all UK counties except for Northern Ireland (in 2018, latest statistics), primarily driven by contamination of recycling by food waste and non-recyclable materials, a reduction in green waste being recycled, and a decreasing market for paper and card. This includes a drop in recycling/recovery of packaging waste since 2016, however this particular type of waste still exceeds EU targets. There is a lot we can all do to reduce waste in our homes, to both reduce the amount going to landfill, and to increase the amount being recycled.
Recycling
2016 figures found that the amount of household waste being rejected for recycling has increased by 84% since 2011 [3]. The primary reasons for this are the costs of re-sorting contaminated bins by local councils, which can lead to a whole load being rejected. 97% of rejected recycling is being incinerated or sent to landfill.
What can we do?
The best thing we can all do is be more aware of our local recycling schemes to ensure no contamination with non-recyclables or food. Recyclenow, managed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), provides information as to what can and can’t be recycled, split by your recycling bin type, just enter your postcode.
Make sure you wash your recyclables contaminated with food. Given the option, try to avoid packaging made from black plastic, as the technology used to sort recycling has a limited ability to sort black plastics [4].
See our Quick Guide to Cambridge's Recycling Scheme
Cleaning products
The average UK household spends £130 per year on cleaning products [5]. Concern for the environment has influenced 47% of product purchases in 2018 [6]. This concern has driven positive change in the cleaning industry, with a push for ingredient transparency and natural ingredients. But cleaning green is a team effort, no matter how green a product or appliance is, it’s down to the user to determine how much and often those resources are used.
Cleaning in the home using sustainable products can be challenging. We have highlighted two cheap and easy products that you can use for a multitude of different cleaning tasks.
White vinegar
Vinegar has been used by humans for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Egypt. It is produced by oxidising the alcohol in a fermented solution. White vinegar is usually produced from fermenting corn (it is possible to find organic versions on the market), but can also be produced from fossil fuel products, it’s important to check the label when purchasing white vinegar.
White vinegar can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces (please keep in mind vinegar has not been proven to be effective against COVID-19), remove limescale (it can be used inside appliances that can get limescale build-ups such as dishwashers and washing machines), and glass/mirrors. Do not use vinegar on stone surfaces (including granite and marble), on kitchen knives, metal surfaces (avoid prolonged contact with high concentrations of vinegar), inside irons, and on hardwood. For safety, do not mix vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, which can produce toxic fumes.
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.
Baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
Firstly, baking soda and bicarbonate of soda are the same product. Avoid baking powder, which is baking soda mixed with cream of tartar and cornstarch.
Baking soda is a form of salt that allows grease and oils to dissolve in water and can deodorize, which makes it a cheap and effective cleaning product you can buy in bulk, and you may already have in your home.
Baking soda can be used to clean any greasy areas of your home, so is particularly helpful in the kitchen, including pots and pans, and inside the oven (replacing very strong and dangerous oven cleaners) or microwave. It also removes odor, and can be useful in a pot in the fridge (no more gross fridge smell), and can be sprinkled onto soft furnishings such as carpets or mattresses and vacuumed off.
Do not clean the following with baking soda: aluminium cookware (can get discoloured with prolonged contact), antique silver (can be too abrasive for products not made from sterling silver), and marble surfaces (baking soda can wear away the sealant over repeated uses).
Vinegar and baking soda
You can mix these two cheap and accessible products together to produce another cleaning product which can be used for more powerful cleaning.
Vinegar and baking soda can be used to unclog drains and clean the toilet.
Our ancient history of cleaning products
Humans have been using cleaning products for millennia. Archeologists have found examples of soaps from as early as 3,000 BC [7], produced by mixing animal fat with plant ash. Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice feature often in historic recipes. There have also been some cleaning recipes that may sound strange to us now.
Victorians would clean their pots and pans with a mixture of lemon juice and crushed up eggshells. They used old newspapers as cloths for cleaning windows, with so many newspapers being wasted or available for free nowadays, why not save them for a streak-free shine. They would use powdered stone (essentially sand) on wet rags as a scrubbing surface (this is before the days of wire-wool) to remove tough stains in pots and pans. Victorians did not always have the best ideas though, examples include using stale urine to wash out stubborn grease, or stuffing old bread into crevices to pick up dust.
Clothing
An estimated £140 million worth of clothing is sent to landfill each year [8], with an estimated 1.13 million tonnes of clothing purchased in the UK in 2016 [9]. Clothing has the 4th largest environmental impact after housing, transport, and food. However, there has been a decrease in the carbon and water footprints of UK clothing per tonne since 2012, this is largely due to more energy efficient washing and drying, a growing market for second hand clothing, and a growing use of sustainable fibres. Despite this promising trend, the carbon footprint of clothing in use in the UK per tonne was 26.2 million tonnes of CO2 in 2016, up from 24 million in 2012.
The highest contributors to the carbon footprint of clothing is the production of fibre, fibre preparation and processing, and from user washing. This is promising, as the re-use and recycling of clothing can save carbon by extending the lifetime of clothing, and displacing the sale of new garments where the effects of fibre extraction and processing can be avoided.
Fixing old clothes
How confident do you feel making repairs to your old clothes? Fixing broken or ripped clothes is one of the best ways to extend the lifetime of our garments. Simple repairs can be made yourself with a basic sewing kit, which can be found in most supermarkets. There are lots of tutorials online on how to fix or alter old clothes. For more challenging fixes, consider visiting a local seamstress/seamster who can alter your clothing to fit you better, while you support a local business.
Disposing of old clothes
Before recycling clothes, consider re-using them or donating them to someone else, giving them longer lives before being recycled. Most of the reasons for disposal of clothing does not mean the clothes could not be used by someone else. Consider hosting a clothing-swap with your friends, or taking your unwanted garments to a charity shop to benefit your community and a charity of your choice. A 10% increase in second hand sales could save 3% carbon, 4% water, and 1% waste per tonne of clothing.
Packaging
In 2017, 70% of packaging waste in the UK was either recycled or recovered, above the 60% EU target, but a decrease from the 71.4% in 2016 [10]. Of the 11.5 million tonnes of packaging waste arising, 7.4 million tonnes were recycled, and 0.7 million tonnes were recovered from ‘energy from waste’ incineration. Paper and cardboard are the highest contributors (4.7 M tonnes), followed by glass (2.4 M tonnes), plastic (2.3 M tonnes), then wood (1.3 M tonnes).
Packaging can be unavoidable, but it's down to you to look carefully at recycling symbols on packaging before purchasing, or opting for plastic-free/biodegradable options.
DIY
When things break around the home it’s tempting to just throw them away, but it's much cheaper and more sustainable to fix them instead. There are lots of tutorials online, but it can be daunting to use a new tool or technique. Try starting with something simple, such as repainting worn out furniture with non-toxic paint.
The Zoology Department Green Initiative Team will be setting up a DIY tool sharing area in the department that we can all access when the buildings fully reopen, so you can borrow whatever tools you need to fix problems around your home. To start this area off, we need your old tools. If you have any tools you would like to give a second life to and donate, please contact us.
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.Garden waste
Green waste in landfills
Green waste breaks down in landfills without oxygen, which produces methane, a greenhouse gas. The UK has targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) going to landfill to 50% by 2015, and 35% by 2020.
Composting home waste
You can check with your local authority whether they collect household food and garden waste for large-scale composting. If your local authority does not, you can still recycle your compostable waste at your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, you can find your nearest here.
Composting turns your food and garden waste into valuable nutrient-rich compost for your garden. If you rent with a shared garden, talk with your landlord about whether they would be open to composting. A step-by-step guide to starting your own compost can be found here. We include here some tips:
Purchase or build a compost bin. Most garden retailers sell compost bins in a variety of sizes and styles.
Get yourself a kitchen caddy and a garden waste bin to start collecting organic materials to empty into your compost bin.
Wait! It can take 9-12 months for organic waste to turn into nutrient-rich compost
Once you have a dark crumbly material, your compost is ready to use. It’s perfectly normal for it to still have some small pieces of organic material such as twigs and eggshells. You can scoop it out when needed to reinvigorate your soil. Compost can be used around trees, to pot and grow your own herbs, or to feed a lawn.
Learn more about compost creatures, please see here for the Museum of Zoology’s 12 Days of Winter Wildlife.
Gift-giving
There are many opportunities throughout the year to give gifts to your friends and family. However I’m sure you’ve experienced receiving an unwanted gift, there’s an estimated £5.03 billion spent on unwanted gifts in the UK each year. 1 in 10 people in the UK have even admitted to deliberately buying someone a gift they know they won’t like!
There’s lots you can do to make your gift-giving more sustainable, including how you give these gifts to your loved ones.
Wrapping
British people use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year, with an estimated 5 million tonnes being sent to landfill annually. DEFRA estimates that enough wrapping paper is used each year to gift-wrap the island of Guernsey! Most wrapping paper is combined with non-paper additives such as plastics for a bright and glittery shine, making them difficult to recycle. Some household recycling collection schemes will collect this wrapping paper, but many do not as it is not accepted by some recycled paper mills. To make matters worse, wrapping paper is most often fastened with sticky tape, which makes it even more difficult to recycle.
A simple test of whether your wrapping paper is recyclable is the scrunch test. Scrunch up a piece of the paper in your hand, if it stays scrunched up it is recyclable, if it bounces back it is not.
There are alternatives to traditional wrapping papers. You can purchase a cheap roll of brown packaging paper from most Post Offices, which is recyclable, or alternatively use up some of that waste newspaper often lying around. If you want to get creative, fabric makes an interesting, reusable, and unique gift-wrap. Opt to not use sticky tape, and instead use biodegradable natural twine or a reusable ribbon. Or if wrapping is a chore for you anyway, why not save yourself the hassle and opt for a reusable gift bag instead?
Gifts
For the actual gift, try to invest more in a gift that someone really wants, will get lots of use of and will last a long time, rather than lots of little gifts you are unsure how much they will use. Alternatively, sustainable goods are often quite expensive and make good gifts as many people are reluctant to shell out on them themselves. These include keep cups, beeswax sheets, and reusable water bottles. Often these products are also customisable for a more personal touch.
Single-use products
Spotlight on single-use poster
We are all aware of the problems associated with single-use products, particularly those that cannot biodegrade or be recycled. Every year more alternatives to single-use products come out, either focusing on reuse or more environmentally friendly disposal. By investing in a multi-use alternative you can save yourself money in the long-run, and reduce the amount of waste heading to landfill or becoming litter in the future.
Single-use plastics are some of the most commonly found litter on beaches, and represent 50% of marine litter [1]. It is estimated that 4.8-12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans globally every year. The word offenders of this in our oceans, beaches, and rivers are plastic bottles, cigarette butts, cotton bud sticks, crisp packets, sweet wrappers, menstrual products, plastic bags, plastic cutlery and straws, coffee cups and drinks containers, balloons, and food containers and packaging.
Single-use in the department
'Single-Out' Campaign
The Cambridge Sustainability team is running a campaign to reduce the amount of single-use waste produced by the university. You can find out more here.
To support this campaign, please consider filling out this survey.
A lot has already been done by the university to reduce single-use waste, such as re-using plastic bags, not offering bottled water to guests, and eliminating snack packaging.
What are the worst offenders?
95% of the waste produced by the university comes from 10 single-use items:
- Paper and letters
- Paper towels and napkins
- Food contaminated packaging
- Cardboard and plastic wrapping
- Tea, coffee, food and compostable packaging
- Lab plastics
- Disposable gloves
- Expanded polystyrene
- Cold storage packaging
- Contaminated research wastes
Do you see something on this list that you use? Do you have ideas on how to reduce use of that item in the future? Consider talking to your manager or PI if you have any ideas.
Some of these items are unavoidable, such as single-use gloves in labs. In these cases, our focus should be on how to reduce the impact of their waste, such as sourcing biodegradable or recyclable alternatives.
Water bottles and drinks containers are a common item found as litter. In the UK, consumers use an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles, 9 billion drinks cans, and 5 billion glass bottles per year [2]. Though plastic bottles are recyclable, recent packaging recycling rates have shown that significant improvement is needed. The government is now pushing for a Deposit Return scheme to reduce the volume of plastic bottles becoming litter [3]. You should try to not reuse plastic water bottles, though there is no solid evidence that reusing them raises the risk of chemicals leaching into the water (as is often said in eye-grabbing headlines), you shouldn't reuse bottles with signs of degradation. They are not intended for reuse, and if not washed thoroughly can have bacteria grow inside. Instead, consider using a reusable water bottle, which you can personalise and buy in a multitude of sizes and shapes.
Paper is one of the most commonly used single-use items in the university. This is generally for printing. Think carefully, 'can this be digital? Does this need printing?'. Many documents can be edited and notes made on your laptop or tablet. The same goes for posting letters, think 'can this be an email or a phone call instead?'.
Regarding tea and coffee cups in the department, great work has gone on to ensure that these are compostable. They should be put in the general waste bins, not the recycling bins. However it is important to consider that they still take a long time to break down, so consider switching to a reusable alternative. There are many styles available, often supporting companies or brands you like, can be personalised, and there are even collapsible cups for those with limited space and fit right into a pocket or bag.
A particular single-use product has become an area for concern in recent times, that being single-use face masks. You may have already noticed a number of single-use face masks littering the floor almost everywhere you go. If every person in the UK used one single-use face mask every day for one year, that would create 128 thousand tonnes of non-recyclable waste. A lot of this waste is down to the packaging they come in. Due to the rapid changes around us, there is a limited waste stream for face masks, there just hasn't been the time to create one. Consider purchasing or making a reusable face mask, there are many tutorials online [4], and many different styles and sizes to suit everyone [5]. If you are purchasing a face mask, look out for masks with an N95 or N99 filtering face piece, meaning they filter out 95 and 99% of airborne particles. Many of these masks can be thrown in the washing machine, or need filters replaced at regular intervals to remain effective, so it's important to do your research before purchasing.
Single-use in the home
Where do you use the most single-use products in your home? We have highlighted two areas that may be the culprits, and have suggested alternatives.
Kitchen
There are many single-use items used every day in the kitchen, but there are also alternatives available.
Cling film is often recyclable, but is not due to contamination with food and how difficult it is to clean. Instead of using cling film to cover and store food, you could use reusable Tupperwares or wrap with foil, which is also recyclable and easier to clean, wax wraps (or vegan alternatives such as silicone wraps or even cotton wraps, which can be thrown in the washing machine).
Similarly to cling film, baking paper and foil are often used in the kitchen then thrown away. If you're lining oven trays with these materials, you can instead use a reusable silicone baking sheet, which are now very cheap and can even be found in pound shops (authors note: I bought mine in Poundland and it has lasted very well).
And on the topic of baking, it can make such a mess and use lots of different single-use products such as piping bags. There are biodegradable or recyclable options, but remember that you need to clean items before recycling.
Kitchen roll is another product used often, but cannot be recycled after use. Instead, you can replace it with maching washable alternatives, such as cotton or bamboo towels which can be thrown in the wash once used. If you don't like the idea of buying these little pieces of fabric, you can always cut up old clothes into rags and use these instead for a free alternative.
Other single-use products used in the kitchen includes plastic straws and stirrers. DEFRA estimated that the UK uses 4.7 billion plastic straws and 316 million plastic stirrers. It is important to be considerate that some people require straws to drink. There are biodegradable or reusable options, such as bamboo or metal straws.
For food packaging waste, you may notice a Terracycle logo on some food packaging, this means it is not recyclable through local recycling schemes but instead can be turned into something new and given a second life through Terracycle, such as benches and tables for schools. You can look up your nearest Terracycle collection point here. To date, Terracycle has diverted waste going to landfill from 202 million people in 21 countries, and raised $44 million for charity.
Bathroom
We use many single-use products in the bathroom, including but not limited to cotton buds, cotton balls and pads, cleaning products, and menstrual products. Many of these products are plant-based and do biodegrade, the issue is their disposal. 5.9% of beach litter in the UK are items that were flushed down the toilet when they should have gone in the bin. Of those products, wet wipes are a large constituent. Did you know fatbergs are actually 93% wet wipe, and only 0.5% fat? The costs of flushing the wrong item down the toilet comes to £88 million per year to clear blocked drains and sewer pipes [6].
The products most often flushed down the toilet when they should be put in the bin are:
- Cotton buds - being so small they can get through sewage filters if flushed, and can end up in our water ways. However there is some good news, the UK banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds as of October 2020.
- Wet wipes - did you know the number of wet wipes found on beaches in the UK has increased by over 700% in the last decade, with over 10.8 billion wet wipes being used per year. Look out for the 'Fine to Flush' logo in you're unsure whether to put your wet wipes in the bin or toilet.
- Menstrual products - many menstrual products contain plastic and none should be flushed. If the thought of this bothers you, you could try to have a plastic-free period.
- Other products such as napies, incontinence pads, contact lenses, tooth floss, and cigarettes are also often flushed.
As we see, cotton buds are a common piece of marine litter, due to not being disposed of properly. There are reusable alternatives, however you should think carefully about you need them for. Look at reviews before purchasing, the last thing you need is a silicone cotton bud breaking off and getting stuck in your ear, that would be an embarrassing trip to A&E!
Cotton balls and pads are another commonly thrown away item from bathrooms. You can replace them with reusable alternatives such as washable bamboo or cottom pads, which can be thrown in the washing machine to be used over and over again, and also stops you from having to worry about running out. Alternatively if you are using thse products for your skin care, your hands are just as good at wiping products on your skin. Consider swapping to thicker or more gel-like products so they don't drip in your eyes.
Menstrual products can be an uncomfortable subject to talk about, but that's no reason to not think about how you can make your natural cycle more environmentally friendly and less costly to you with the ridiculous prices. Menstrual products are the 5th most common item found on European beaches, and are more widespread than single-use coffee cups, cutlery, and straws. There are many reusable alternatives to suit everyone, including but not limited to: menstrual cups, reusable pads, menstrual underwear, and reusable tampon applicators. You can even try to have a plastic-free period to reduce the amount of waste produced.
When is it not appropriate to not use single-use products?
Though we are working hard to reduce our use of single-use products, it is important to consider that it is not always appropriate to reuse or use multi-use items when it comes to health and safety. If an item is not intended for use multiple times, you should likely not try to reuse it, and instead try to source items intended for reuse. Don't forget to carefully consider hygiene and clean your products properly before reuse.
Energy waste
Spotlight on Energy waster poster
Wasting energy does not only waste money, but also creates unnecessary carbon emissions. The amount of energy wasted is usually down to appliance or building design and user behaviour. We have highlighted areas you can reduce your energy waste in two areas: in the department, and in your home.
In the department
The energy being wasted by office buildings in the UK every year could power 100,000 homes, and as much carbon emissions as 46,000 cars annually [1]. The department has done a lot to reduce energy waste in the buildings, but there's a lot of changes to occupant behaviour that can be done to further reduce waste.
Avoid standby mode
Appliances in standby mode use a lot less energy than when being used, but they are still using up energy which is entirely going to waste. A new appliance wastes £1.23 per year, if you add that up to multiple appliances and every person using the buildings, and that's a lot of energy being used on nothing. Check to see if you've left any appliances on standby mode. Make sure your appliances are turned fully off rather than standby, or to be sure switch appliances off at the wall to save energy. Have a wander around your office before you leave each day and switch off all appliances such as computers, printers, and kitchen equipment.
Turn off lights and appliances
Many lights in the department are already set to motion sensors, this helps save energy by automatically turning them off when no one is around. For rooms where there is a switch, remember to turn off the lights before you leave a room.
For appliances, being plugged in to an on socket in the wall will still use up power, this goes even for smaller appliances such as chargers. When you're not using your charger, either turn it off at the wall or pull out the plug to be sure it's not wasting energy. Similarly, chargers continue to use power when the appliance they are connected to is fully charged. To reduce this power waste, try to charge your appliances during the day, so you can unplug them when they've finished charging.
In the home
The tips we have for the department are also relevant for your home. Make sure appliances are turned off rather than on standby. In homes, an estimated 9-16% of the electricity consumed is from appliances on standby. This contributes towards your electricity bill, turning off appliances will save not only energy, but also on your costs.
Your appliances may be working harder than they need to to stay efficient, using up more electricity than they need to. All appliances need some maintenance to stay effective, descale your kettle and water appliances, bleed your radiators, and defrost your fridge and freezer to not only keep them working for longer, but also to save electricity.
And speaking of kettles, did you know that boiling the kettle uses the same amount of energy to power a freezer for 2 hours, or a light on for 5 hours? That's why it's important to keep your kettle in tip top shape. You should try not to over-fill your kettle, you can measure out exactly the amount of water you need (for one cup of tea, put in one mug of water, but make sure you fill over the minimum line to prevent your kettle running dry), a full kettle can cost 2.5p to boil, scale that up to how many times you use it in a year, and that's going to waste. The average UK household boils the kettle 1,500 per year! If you're looking to replace your kettle, there are now eco models on the market, which contain insulation to reduce heat loss, and options for how hot you want your water. Perfect for those after the perfect cup of tea!
Some appliances cannot be turned off to save electricity, for example your fridge and freezer. But you can save energy by raising the temperatures of these appliances. A fridge does not need to be lower than 5°C, and a freezer doesn't need to be lower than -18°C.
The way that we use appliances influences the amount of energy they use. For example, running a washing machine can range from £12-53 per year, choosing when to run the machine is important. Run your washing machine and dishwasher when they have a full load to make the most of their efficiency.
Outdated technology can be a major drain on your home electricity. Newer technology has made significant improvements on energy use. You can replace older technology, or make smaller changes around your home to make the most of these improvements, for example switching to LED bulbs, which use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and can last 25% longer. If you're looking to replace your old appliances, take a look at the energy rating. Appliances are rated from G (least efficient) to A+++ (most efficient) under EU regulation. Fridges and freezers sold after 2012 have energy ratings from A+ to A+++, but if you bought your fridge or freezer before 2012, it will be rated between G and A, which means it will have a much higher running costs than a modern appliance. Be particularly careful when shopping online, a recent MarketWatch survey found that 90% of UK online sites were missing or displaying incorrect information regarding energy efficiency!
Heating can be a major drain on electricity. Did you know that turning down your thermostat by only 1°C can save you £85-90 per year?
Do you know how the electricity you use is generated? There are now many suppliers of electricity that produce energy either using renewable sources, or use carbon offsetting or carbon neutral schemes to reduce the impact of generating electricity. There are more companies doing this every year, it can be a case of changing your tariff, or switching to a green energy supplier. You can see here a comparison of a few different companies. Switching energy supplier can be very simple, many green companies also offer handling the switch themselves, so all you have to do is agree to a tariff.
Are you a home owner? If so, the government has launched the Green Homes Grant, which contributes towards homeowners installing energy efficient improvements to their homes. You can check here to see if you are eligible.
Food waste
Food waste takes many forms, and includes food being uneaten, unusued, or discarded. Another important aspect of waste is the wasted energy and packaging produced in food production and distribution. Food waste is responsible for 8% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions [1], and the amount of water used to treat this wasted food is 250km3 per year.
Roughly one third of the edible parts of food produced for human consumption gets lost of wasted globally, which adds up to 1.3 billion tonnes per year [2]. In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted per year, which comes to £10.2 billion per year, or £250-400 per household per year [3]. In Europe, the food group most wasted is cereals, followed by dairy [1]. Food loss per capita in Europe is 280kg per year, with 95-115kg of this wasted by consumers per year. There is a lot we can all do to reduce food waste as consumers, here we have highlighted a few key areas.
Sustainable cookbook
We are producing a sustainable recipe cookbook, where any staff or students from the Zoology department can submit recipes. If you have a recipe you would like to share, please head here.
We will be launching the cookbook at the start of Easter term.
In the mean time, we have some quick tips on how to use up some of your food waste below:
Fruit - peels can be turned into sweets or syrups, citrus peels in particular can be made into marmalade. Any fruit starting to turn can be blended into a smoothie, or frozen until you're ready for a smoothie. Alternatively, you can feed waste fruit to birds, leave them whole on the ground or on a bird table, and you may notice visitors such as blackbirds, thrushes, robins, and wrens.
Vegetables - peels and trimmings can be used to make a stock or soup, you can collect these over time in the freezer. Peelings can also be turned into crisps by baking them. Old vegetables starting to turn can still be safely used in soups or stews.
Herbs - stalks can have a stronger flavour than the leaves themselves, so chop them up and use them in your cooking as you would the leaves.
Meat - you can use skin and bones to make stock, broth, or as a base for stews. Meat can be used in a stew, or made into a pie or pasty, which can then be frozen.
Confusing labels
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, there is confusion around the different dates on food packaging; best before, sell by, and use by. It is important to understand the different types of dates on food packaging to avoid poisoning, but also to not throw away food that is still perfectly edible.
Use-by dates are about safety. This is the most important date to look at on packaging. However, if you won't get round to eating a food before this date, lots of food, including meat and milk, can be frozen.
Best before dates are about quality. The food will still be safe to eat after this date, but may not be at its best.
Sell-by dates are for the retailer. This date indicates the date on perishable foods that it is recommended to be sold by. Once this date has passed, the food is still safe to eat. About 1/3 of its shelf-life remains after this date for the consumer to use at home.
Food perfectionism
In the book 'Waste - understanding the global food scandal' from 2009, a carrot farm in Yorkshire was visited to understand how quality standards affect food waste. This carrot producer supplied the supermarket chain Asda, and in this visit carrots passed through photographic sensor machines, searching for aesthetic defects; not bright enough in colour, or having a bend or blemish. Any deemed not fit were sent to become animal feed. In total, 24-30% of all carrots handled by this producer were out-graded, of which half were rejected due to physical or aesthetic defects. This is not unique to this producer or even vegetables, errors during processing can lead to final products being the wrong size, shape, or appearance, without affected the safety, taste, or nutritional value of the food.
As consumers, there are ways we can put pressure on supermarkets to change this, by questioning supermarket chains and showing an interest in purchasing food regardless of weight, size, and shape. If farms could sell crops closer to consumers without having to pass through strict aesthetic quality standards set up by supermarkets, this could reduce the amount of rejected crops. This can be done by shopping at independent retailers, such as farmers markets or farmers shops. On a grander scale, we need to develop markets for sub-standard products that may not fit in with the perfectionist standards without compromising safety.
How far has your food travelled?
You may have noticed the same vegetables in your local supermarket labelled from very different areas, such as 'Product of Spain' or 'Produced in New Zealand'. This is commonly the case when purchasing seasonal produce. These products are often perishable too, meaning they are often flown in. Flying food typically creates 10 times more carbon emissions than road transport, and 50 times more than shipping [4]. And once imported, food needs to get to the supermarkets. Transporting food is responsible for an estimated 25% of all miles covered by heavy goods traffic in the UK, producing 19 million tonnes of carbon annually [5]. And on top of that, there's the distance you travel to purchase the food. In the UK, each of us travels around 135 miles per year for our food shopping [6].
But, the miles your food has travelled is not the easiest way to tell its carbon footprint. For example, let's say in December you have to choose between UK grown tomatoes that were produced in a heated greenhouse, or Spanish grown tomatoes grown outdoors. In this case, the product with the higher food miles will have a lower carbon footprint that the more locally produced variety. But how does this change if the heat in the greenhouse is waste heat from industry diverted into the greenhouses? There is no easy way to tell the carbon footprint of food, even using food miles.
What would be easiest for consumers would be a label that tells consumers the carbon footprint of a product. In 2007, Tesco announced plans to do just this, but dropped the plan in 2012, blaming the amount of work invovled. But, good news, Quorn has stepped up and in 2020 became the first major brand to introduce carbon labelling on its products. With some luck, this will inspire others to do the same.
Is your food in season?
By buying seasonal produce, you are getting around some of the issues with fodo miles. You are reducing your carbon footprint, saving money (seasonal produce is cheaper as you're buying it when it is most abundant), supporting the local economy, and buying food when it is at its freshest. We have included an infographic below listing lots of seasonal foods.
You are what you eat
What you eat massively impacts the carbon footprint of your diet. For example, producing 1kg of beef emits 60kg of greenhouse gases, while 1kg of peas emits 1kg. This makes choosing a low-carbon emission product seem easy, but it's more challenging when you consider that 1kg of beef does not have the same nutritional value as 1kg of peas. The carbon emissions from food are also not always as intuitive as you think, lamb and cheese both emit more than 20kg per kg produced, whereas pork and poultry are lower. Chocolate has a high carbon footprint due to the land use change needed in its production, whereas prawns have a high carbon footprint due to the farming practices used in its production. This sort of information can feel overwhelming. In the end, the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce your animal-product consumption. This can be done by choosing white meat options over red meat, as non-ruminant livestock do not produce methane, or opting for more vegetarian and vegan options. Here is a little guide to how much greenhouse gas emissions are produced from different foots.
If you are considering switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, you will be taking a large step towards a more sustainable lifestyle! You can start in small ways, such as having vegetarian days. Remember how many British schools would serve fish on Fridays? This is because it is a Christian practice, called Friday Fast, where Christians abstain from animal meat (with fish being cold-blooded, they could still eat fish), particularly during Lent. Even if not religious, having a fixed day to test out new and exciting vegetarian or vegan recipes can quickly become something to look forward to.
It is important to read up on what vitamins and minerals your diet gives you, in case there is anything missing. In particular, vegetarians and vegans need to make sure they have enough sources of iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. You can find out more from the NHS here.
Top tips on reducing food waste
There are lots of ways to reduce your food waste and carbon emissions as a consumer, here we have highlighted a short plan that can start you on your journey.
- Make a plan before you go shopping, plan ahead, and stick to it
- Repurpose your food - we will soon be launching a cookbook filled with recipes on how to use food waste and how to reduce the impact of your groceries
- Think, can I freeze this? Almost anything can be frozen; bread, grains, fruit, vegetables, milk, the list goes on. The same goes for your leftovers, freezing your scraps or even vegetable peels means you can use them for a great broth. To learm more about how long your food will last in the freezer, here is an app and website
- Look at use-by dates, not sell-by or best before dates
- If you have an outdoor space, consider setting up a compost bin for your food scraps. Alternatively, you may be in an area with a community compost collection service, you can check here