16.09.13
Waste reduction campaign saving London £1m
The Love Food Hate Waste campaign (LFHW) has saved over £1m for West London boroughs, a WRAP evaluation has found.
There’s an estimated 890,000 tonnes of food thrown away each year in London, 540,000 of which could be avoided. Disposing of household waste costs the London boroughs over £50m per year.
The six-month campaign helped west Londoners cut their waste by 14% – if this was achieved across all of London it would save 29,400 tonnes of avoidable food waste and £79m cost savings.
Dr Richard Swannell, director at WRAP, said: “The Local Government Association has identified waste disposal as one of the most costly areas for local authorities. Our work
highlights one way these can be reduced cost effectively – a short term investment can deliver short term and potentially long term gain, both financially and environmentally.
“And it’s not just local authorities who can help consumers reduce their food waste and reap the benefits. Retailers and brands have a role to play, particularly through the Courtauld Commitment and by utilising WRAP’s technical guidance, to help consumers make the best use of the food they buy.”
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