An estimated one-third of food that’s produced across the globe never reaches the table! With BOGOFs on perishable food, overbuying, not using up leftovers… there are lots of ways that food ends up in the trash every day, and over half of it could normally be eaten.

Producing food uses lots of energy, water and packaging by industry. Added to that is the time and energy we spend when food shopping. Reducing food waste lowers the overall environmental footprint as well as saving money.

And let’s not forget that everything that’s thrown away has to go to landfill. This means even more transport, more space needed and more greenhouse gases.

If you really want to make a difference, depending on your current shopping, food storage and eating habits, you may need to make small or large changes at home. Take a look at our top tips to help you along.

Most of us make a shopping list to take along to the supermarket for the weekly shop, but this list tends to be based on what we’ve used up during the previous week rather than taking into account what’s really needed for the upcoming seven days.

You don’t need to make a detailed plan for each meal in the upcoming week, but rather have an idea for several of your main meals. There are many dishes you can prepare that will last for two days, or you could freeze the leftovers. If you buy ingredients for all your main meals for a week you could end up with so many leftovers you might end up throwing them away!

Before shopping don’t forget to check your freezer. Newer produce is often placed on top of older items, especially if you have a large chest freezer. When looking what’s inside, make sure to include these older items in your meal plan to use them up.

For recipes when you need specific fresh foods try to think of other dishes where you could use them up to avoid having any left over that could spoil after only a few days.

‘Best before’ and ‘Use by’ dates aren’t the same, the former is for quality and the latter for safety.

For items in your fridge check the dates regularly and think about how to use any items with a near use by date. For best before dated foods, once the date has passed there may be a slight change in texture or flavour. For more about food dates, take a look at the Food Standards Agency website. https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/best-before-and-use-by-dates.

When you unpack your shopping, for items with a short shelf life only place in the fridge what you can reasonably use in the next few days. Multi-packs of meat can be split between the fridge and the freezer. Items with a short lifespan should be placed in sight in the fridge – anything hidden at the back will probably be forgotten about until it’s too late.

With plenty of resources available online, including ‘how to’ videos, it’s easier than ever to discover ways to use up leftovers or those tins that have been sitting at the back of your cupboard for months.

Search online for a website that fits in with your lifestyle. It’s not the same if you’re cooking for one or for a large family, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, adventurous with food or more traditional. Many sites also have a handy app to download on your phone, some allow you to make shopping lists as well as save your favourite recipes.

Before throwing away fruit and veg that’s past its best, you can still use them in smoothies, soups or chopped up in a salad.

Some supermarkets are also starting to offer ugly produce which shouldn’t command the premium prices that perfect fruit and veg does.

When was the last time you managed to cook the perfect amount of pasta, rice or potatoes? If you’re feeling hungry it’s all too easy to overestimate the amount you’ll need.

Start to measure or weigh what you prepare; once you find the magic number, write it down for reference.

Leftovers are great to take to work helping you avoid food waste and saving money on yet another over-priced sandwich. Make sure you have food storage containers and a sturdy bag to carry them in to avoid spillage.

The internet is full of suggestions on how to prepare a healthy packed lunch for school. Most schools have policies on items which aren’t allowed, such as processed sugars, so you’ll need to take these limitations into account. Making school lunches from scratch is more economical than buying ready-made foods, but you’ll need to factor in the time to prepare them and include what you need on your shopping list.

On the back of several campaigns many restaurants across the country are becoming more proactive about offering diners a doggy bag helping to reduce food waste, so it’s time to leave your embarrassment behind!

Even if you don’t have a dog at home there’s no reason you shouldn’t ask for a doggy bag the next time you eat out. Taking home your leftovers saves them from being thrown away and you’ll have a handy snack for tomorrow’s lunch at home or at work.

More quick tips :