Eat green this Xmas
Eating green this winter needn’t mean that Christmas dinner is boring. You can still enjoy festive treats while doing your bit to cut down on waste.
Most of us don’t realise the amount of food we throw away. But over a third of the food we buy in Scotland is thrown directly in the bin – some of it never even making it to the plate.
Each Scottish home throws away an average of £410 worth of food every year. Together that’s a massive £889m being scraped from plates into the bin.
If we stopped wasting all this food, we could prevent the equivalent of 1.6 million tones of carbon dioxide each year in Scotland. This is the same as taking one in four cars off the road.
Follow these top tips to make sure you’re a Christmas star in the kitchen this year:
Plan ahead
Take five minutes to think what meals you’ll be enjoying over the festive period. That way you can shop for exactly what you need and avoid a trolley overflowing with excess food.
Be a local hero
Locally grown fresh ingredients could give your festive food added sparkle while being environmentally conscious. Locally produced and sold items mean your food hasn’t been flown or driven long distances to get to your plate.
Shop smart
Take a reusable bag when you shop for your Christmas dinner ingredients and avoid using a disposable bag. Plastics can take 400 years to break down in a landfill.
Pack it in
Look out for products that have little or no packaging to cut down on waste. If your food comes in cardboard you can recycle it in on-street packaging points or use the red kerbside collection box.
Shake it loose
Try buying your fruit and vegetables loose so you can buy exactly how much you need. That way you’ll be sure none of it ends up in the bin.
Magic portion
Thinking about portion sizes is a great way to help you plan how much food you need and avoid cooking too much.
Some food packs have recommended serving sizes on them which can help make sure you don’t waste any.
Recipe for success
Once you’ve enjoyed your festive food you can enjoy the leftovers in another delicious meal. Visit www.wasteawarelovefood.org.uk for recipe ideas from top chefs.
Grow your own
Growing your own fruit and vegetables means you can pick and use only what you need and avoid wasted food going to landfill.
Get into the season
Take advantage of the great Scottish seasonal produce on offer. Excess fruit and vegetables can be made into tasty jams and chutneys, and stored so that they can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Feel the peel
Peelings from your festive veg can be composted. Add the compost to a vegetable patch and you could be enjoying delicious home-growns again next year!
Need to know
For more help and advice about reducing your food waste visit www.wasteawarelovefood.org.uk