If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of carbon emissions globally, behind China and the United States according to UNFAO.

Whether you want to help our world in the fight against climate change, or help yourself save some money, here are some tips to help.  It’s not rocket science, buying what we need and eating what we buy is all there is to it: 

1. Plan your shop – how many meals will you be having at home in the coming days? How much food do you already have in your fridge? Think ahead and plan it out, to reduce the amount of potential waste before you start and don’t have your head turned by things on special offer that you didn’t need and probably won’t eat all of

2. Store things better – how often are you throwing things away because they’ve gone stale? Invest in some airtight containers to ensure cereal, crisps, crackers, biscuits stay fresh for longer. Check out our tips on how store the most commonly wasted foods in British households here

3. Portion control – how hungry are you right now? It’s much easier to repurpose leftovers or store them from the pan, rather than scrape them off your plate.  Put out only what you can eat and go back for seconds. Don't wasting your culinary creation

4. Check expiration dates – yes it’s annoying when you’ve got your heart set on having a bolognese for dinner tonight but you know you’ve got eggs that are about to expire. The bolognese will still be there tomorrow after you make the gang a big omelet tonight

5. Freeze products you won’t use within their expiry date – Freeze bread and take a few slices out each day to toast or defrost, skimmed and semi-skimmed milk freeze well and just need a bit of a shake when defrosted before use, hard cheese freezes well, just portion out ahead of freezing so you can use it optimally

6. Give your leftovers new life – Veg into soup, rice into arancini, roast chicken into pie or curry, potatoes into Spanish omelet or rosti. The ideas are endless, you can see even more here: http://www.ozharvest.org/wasty-recipes-by-ozharvest/

7. Donate – if you are a registered business or food provider and have surplus that you can safely donate, then donate to us at UKHarvest or your local foodbank

Start with small changes to reduce your waste, help the environment and save money for you and your family.  If you want to make a difference outside of your own kitchen, then get in touch with UKHarvest to hear what we are doing and volunteer your time or money to make a difference in nourishing our nation: www.ukharvest.org.uk