If you want to get serious about reducing food waste in 2022, it has to start at home.
According to sustainability charity WRAP, household food waste makes up 70% of the UK’s total loss, and most of that is fresh produce like fruit and vegetables. The study by WRAP found that the value of perfectly edible food thrown away every year in the UK equates to £19 billion – a serious amount of waste.
But it’s not all doom and gloom because the amount of food we throw away is going down. There was a reduction of almost 6% between 2015 and 2018 and figures are now almost 18% lower than they were in 2007. This equates to almost £1.3 billion less in 2019 than in 2015 – a really encouraging trend.
Having said that, there's plenty of work that still needs to be done to further reduce food waste. Firstly, when it comes to fruit and veggies, only purchase what you need. Bulk buying is fine for dried foods but it’s better to buy fresh items as and when you need them. Secondly, when you do buy fruit and veg, be sure to store it correctly so you can maximise shelf life and get the most out of your produce.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite vegetable storage solutions to help us prevent food wastage – and keep our kitchens looking neat and tidy as we do it.
1. Keep them in a rack
Not all fruit and vegetables need to be kept in the refrigerator – food like carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables can be stored at room temperature instead. To free-up fridge space, invest in an attractive rack instead. As moisture speeds up spoiling, storing them in the open will ensure air is circulating, keeping them fresher for longer. Although it’s best to keep green leaves (lettuce and spinach) in a container in your fridge, veg that can be stored in a rack doesn't need to be kept in any kind of bag.
2. Prevent mould in the fridge
There are lots of easy solutions to help fruit and veg last longer in your fridge. Use a silicone cover to keep tomato and onion halves fresh (and they stop pungent smells from escaping, too). I have this OXO one and it fits lots in at once; currently mine's keeping half an onion, some ginger and half a lime safe until I need them.
Another option is fitting your salad crisper drawer with a cushion for the base. These are porous, allowing air to circulate effectively and stop fruit and veg from ‘sweating’. The spongy texture prevents bruising too, so you can also use it in a fruit bowl.
Simply storing things effectively, so you can see easily what you have to hand, can help prevent wastage – it’s easy to buy a duplicate of something when you can’t see that you had one hidden behind a big block of cheese, for example.
3. Keep cut herbs fresh
Herbs last much longer when they’re kept in water. You could just keep them dunked in a bowl in the fridge, but that’s unwieldy and any bump or knock could cause spillages. Instead, use a herb saver – they can extend the lives of your herb packets for up to three weeks, so you won’t have to throw away any more yellowing bunches.
If you prefer to keep herbs planted, a self-watering planter allows you to leave yours on your windowsill without having to worry about them – great for when you’re off on your hols. But if you have left something until it’s past its best, it still doesn’t have to go to waste. Regrow herbs (and veg) from scratch and avoid buying new ones completely with the Brabantia Tasty+ Herbs and Vegetables Regrow Kit – just pop old cuttings in and the gadget will do the rest.
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