Food waste horror story
Happy Halloween! Now the third biggest holiday celebrated in the UK, preceded only by Christmas and Easter, more than 10 million pumpkins are expected to be bought and carved this year.
However, as families up and down the country embrace the celebrations, food waste recycler ReFood UK is reminding everyone that Halloween is also serving up a scary food waste problem. Indeed, more than 18,000 tonnes of perfectly edible pumpkins end up in the bin over the holiday period. That’s the equivalent weight of 1,500 double decker buses, or enough to make a bowl of soup for every person in the UK.
Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood UK, says, “Rather than putting your pumpkin in the bin this week, try something different and opt for an alternative, sustainable solution. It isn’t as scary as you might think.”
The company, which works with businesses across the food supply chain to eliminate food waste to landfill, draws attention to London-based food distributor Hubbub and its #PumpkinRescue campaign, which comprises everything from carving and cooking workshops to tasting events and recipe ideas. Since its launch in 2014, the campaign has been adopted by 23 towns nationwide and has diverted 25 tonnes of pumpkin waste from landfill.
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to shed light on unnecessary food waste. That’s why initiatives such as #PumpkinRescue are vital in raising awareness among the public. And with some of the solutions extending beyond pumpkin waste, hopefully the message is spreading in order to prevent further food from ending up in landfill.
