Why Food Waste is Rife in the Winter Months

As winter descends and cold weather takes hold, it seems that humans aren’t so different to other animals after all. It seems humans’ animal instinct takes over in the winter months, much like animals who are planning to hibernate for the winter, shopping trolleys are stacked to the roof with food and the refrigerator door requires a sharp kick to keep it shut. With Halloween, bonfire night, Christmas and New Year occurring in winter time it seems we loosen our wallets along with our belts. However, it also appears our eyes are too big for our bellies as we waste around 235,000 tonnes of festive food each year.

Food waste has an extremely negative effect on the environment as unused food decays in landfills, emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It’s not just the food that’s ruining the environment either; food packaging also has to be disposed of and if it’s not 100% recyclable it will also join rotting food on a landfill site. These greenhouse gases which are released into the atmosphere are significantly contributing to climate change – which has shown devastating effects around the world.

As soon as you hear the supermarkets are shutting for Christmas day you set off on a mission, armed with the largest shopping trolley available and stack it high with abundances of food which never get eaten – resulting in food and money being wasted. You always complain about the expense of Christmas, yet head off for an unnecessary splurge in a panicked frenzy that the country will run out of food! If this sounds like your festive shop then here are a few tips to help reduce your seasonal shopping bill and combat food waste!

Don’t get carried away with carbohydrate supplies
So many shoppers buy enough bread to feed thousands! They attempt to freeze it, realize there’s a turkey in their freezer and the situation (and bread) all turns stale rather quickly. Rather than going out on a whim, make a note of how much bread you actually need. This should stop you from purchasing numerous loaves that are destined for a landfill and leaves some for other shoppers too!

Know how much space you have to store your food
One of the most common problems with shopping for different winter occasions is that there’s a lack of storage space. Buying food with the intention of freezing it may not be the best way to hunt a bargain if you’ve got no space left. Make a brief note of approximately how much room you have in your freezer before you leave the house – that way you know exactly how much food to purchase that won’t go to waste.

Look out for price reductions around Christmas time
Many supermarkets slash their prices on Christmas Eve as some perishable items won’t be fit for sale upon reopening. Looking out for reductions can be an excellent way to save money on necessary items such as milk and bread. However, be careful not to be drawn in by the reductions and buy things that you don’t need. If the product’s unlikely to get eaten in your household then leave it for another shopper who will actually eat it.

This year supermarkets are going to be in fierce competition of one another and promises of massive price reductions are rife in the media. This is due to the fact that people simply aren’t splurging as much because of the recession. Look out for reductions on the supermarket shelves as they compete against each other to make the most money over the festive period. But remember – only buy what you need to prevent food waste causing global warming and an empty bank account!

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Energy Save North West you can follow her on Twitter @StephStaz for more green, money saving tips!

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