Shopping smarter can save you money

Not only does wasting food cost money but it’s also bad for the environment. Every year we throw away 630,000 tonnes of food and drink, costing Scots over £1billion annually.

A new Scottish Government campaign is encouraging people across the country to reduce their food waste, to help save cash and the environment. By making a few small changes to cut your food waste you could save on average around £470 a year - which is an average of £40 a month.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “If we used up all the food and drink we currently waste, it would cut carbon emissions equal to taking one in four cars off Scotland’s roads.

“We all waste food without thinking, but by making a few small changes, we can make a big difference to our budgets and the environment.

“By shopping smarter and wasting less we can save money and help create a greener, cleaner Scotland now and for the future.

“The best thing we can all do is to prevent food waste, but sometimes it can’t be avoided.

“As well as helping people to reduce food waste, this year’s campaign is encouraging Scots to recycle the food they can’t use, by using food waste collection services which have now been rolled out in more than 50 percent of the country, or by composting at home where these services aren’t available.”

For more information go to www.greenerscotland.org