Glaswegians urged to stop food waste and help save the Earth

Around 600,000 tonnes of household food waste goes to landfill every year and only one third of adults understand the link between food waste and climate change.

The Scottish Governments Food Waste campaign was launched again this week with a new message encouraging people to save food, save money and save the earth.

What happens with food waste?

When food waste isn’t recycled, and ends up in landfill, it decomposes and produces methane - a greenhouse gas that is more harmful than carbon dioxide.

But if recycled, food waste can be turned into green energy and used to power Scotland’s homes.

More people than ever planned and managed their food better in 2020 during the pandemic with searches for ‘Food Waste’ by Scots increasing by 89 per cent on last year.

This new drive aims to show that more action is needed to reduce and recycle food waste to help Scotland reach net zero and stop contributing to climate change.

‘Impossible to ignore’

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater and Iain Gulland from Zero Waste Scotland launched the campaign on Wednesday with Rachel Green at The Ripple Community Café in Edinburgh - a hub that offers freshly made, nutritious and affordable meals to the local community using redistributed food in partnership with Edinburgh Community Food and the Cyrenian’s Fareshare.

Ms Slater said: “In the ongoing climate emergency, it’s impossible to ignore the global issue of food waste. That’s why the Scottish Government is investing in projects to reduce food waste and improve recycling facilities, but we all have a role to play.

“We can all do more to reduce and recycle food waste, cutting emissions and helping Scotland on our journey to net zero.

“Community hubs such as The Ripple Community Café play a vital role in utilising food which would otherwise go to waste while also providing a welcoming space to for locals. By utilising and supporting hubs like this we can drive home the message that each one of us can help save our food waste from ending up in landfills and ensure that it is recycled properly.”

New guide

As part of the campaign, a new handy guide has been created, 22 Food-Saving Wins to inspire and help people take action on food waste in 2022 and beyond.

The guide includes top tips, information and advice and is available on netzeronation.org.

The new ‘Save Food. Save Money. Save the Earth.’ initiative showcases quick and simple steps people can take to reduce their food waste and recycle the waste they cannot avoid from banana skins to eggshells. Not only can Scots help save the earth, but each household could also save approximately £440 per year.