Scotland slashes food waste
Avoidable food waste across Scotland has reduced by almost eight per cent since 2009 – with households saving around £92 million a year by avoiding unnecessary purchases, says Scotland’s cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and the environment Richard Lochhead.
The cabinet secretary also announced his intention to introduce a formal food waste reduction target for Scotland.
He says, “Household food waste in Scotland has decreased by an estimated 37,000 tonnes per year – 5.7 per cent overall – since 2009, with a reduction of 7.7 per cent overall , or 30,000 tonnes per year, in avoidable food waste. This reduction has saved households across Scotland a staggering £92 million a year.
“That’s a great start, but I want to see more done. Globally we throw away two billion tonnes of food every year – which is shocking when 840 million people across the world are going hungry. I want Scotland to lead by example. I intend to introduce a food waste target that I believe will be the first such target in Europe. It will place Scotland at the forefront of tackling global food waste, together with the US, which recently announced a target to reduce food waste by 50 per cent by 2030.
“Working together is imperative to the success of this, and we must continue to do so. I will fully consult with all stakeholders to set the right target to support both Scotland’s food and drink, and our zero waste, ambitions.”
