foodwastestories

Is this the answer to our oat pulp prayers?

Oat milk is becoming more and more popular every year. In the USA, sales of oat milk rose by over 50% in 2022 to $527m, making it the most-loved plant-based alternative. It is the market leader in the UK too, with over half of plant milk consumers preferring it over others. A key driver forContinue reading “Is this the answer to our oat pulp prayers?”

Why were these beautiful watercolours of imperfect fruit so important?

In 1886, researchers at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Division of Pomology agreed that there was a need to document the many varieties of fruit and nuts found within the nation’s borders. They hired 21 artists to produce detailed illustrations of these specimens, of which more than 7,000 are preserved today in the USDAContinue reading “Why were these beautiful watercolours of imperfect fruit so important?”

Food Waste Action Week should look beyond households

“Win. Don’t bin” – that is the theme of this year’s Food Waste Action Week, run by government-funded body WRAP and its daughter campaign Love Food, Hate Waste. It follows the usual trend of food waste campaigns putting most of the onus on households and individuals to reduce their waste. In comparison, my preferred alternativeContinue reading “Food Waste Action Week should look beyond households”

This NYT article has four delicious nuggets about food waste

How Central Ohio Got People to Eat Their Leftovers by Susan Shain – a great title for an article published on 1 January 2023. If your New Year’s resolution is to be more sustainable, less wasteful or save money, then reducing food waste at home is one the best thing you can do. For theseContinue reading “This NYT article has four delicious nuggets about food waste”

The war on wonky: how cosmetic standards create mountains of food waste

In 2007, food campaigner Tristram Stuart visited M. H. Poskitt Carrots which supplied carrots to Asda. What he saw shocked him: carrots were continually discarded for not being the right size or shape, being broken, having a cleft or blemish, or not being the perfect colour. One of the most outrageous reasons for rejecting themContinue reading “The war on wonky: how cosmetic standards create mountains of food waste”

Heart-shaped potatoes and leggy carrots: wonky food in Tunisia is just food

Story by @greenmuhajirahImage by Erin Chapman | @erins_illustrations Having emigrated to (semi-rural) Tunisia, a country quite different from my home of the Netherlands, it’s interesting to observe not only how people have different culinary traditions, but how locals’ experience of food affects their attitude towards waste. In Tunisia, there are very few convenience foods, noContinue reading “Heart-shaped potatoes and leggy carrots: wonky food in Tunisia is just food”

Hidden waste on farms in the UK: new report by WWF and Tesco

A new report by WWF called ‘Hidden Waste: The Scale and Impact of Food Waste in Primary Production’ shows the extent of food waste in primary production in the UK (which means where food is grown and harvested like on farms and in fisheries). It follows their report from June 2021 in which they assessContinue reading “Hidden waste on farms in the UK: new report by WWF and Tesco”

Don’t Worry Dahling

Turn the nightmare of leftover veggies into a delicious dish (without any drama) Got some leftover vegetables you don’t know what to do with? Want to use up a load of veggies to make a delicious, warming meal on the cheap? Want something that will give you 3 of your 5-a-day in one portion andContinue reading “Don’t Worry Dahling”

Food waste in hospitality: ‘The pub taught me that sustainability is joy’

Story by Natalie Pearson | @foodwastestoriesImage by Erin Chapman | @erins_illustrations ‘I’ve always loved nature and I’ve always loved food, but then when you watch something like Planet Earth… I’ve got angry and I’ve mourned about what the world’s doing… and then I’ve come the other side going… you’ve actually got to positively harness that energyContinue reading “Food waste in hospitality: ‘The pub taught me that sustainability is joy’”

Make businesses report their food waste

This consultation is now closed. Thank you to everyone who filled it in! Currently, businesses do not have to report how much food they waste. They can waste as much food as they want without being held accountable. But that might soon change! The government is consulting on new policy that will make food wasteContinue reading “Make businesses report their food waste”