Scandal of fruit and veg we chuck away
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The average UK household buys 86lb of fruit and 141lb of vegetables per person a year, a report by the European Commission Joint Research Centre found. But that household chucks 31lb of
fruit and 55lb of vegetables, half of which is unavoidable waste like peel, stalks and other parts that are inedible. But the rest is “avoidable” waste such as produce that is no longer
considered fresh enough to eat. This, it said, could more sustainably managed at the manufacturing stage and recycled for use in the circular economy. Britain’s waste is above the EU
average of 78lb per person per year across all 28 countries. An estimated 88 million tons of food are wasted annually in the bloc at a cost of £127.5billion. The report, published in the
journal Waste Management, added: “Countries whose citizens spend a higher percentage of their income on food were found to generate less avoidable waste.”