Councillor Clyde Loakes, Chair of the NLWA presenting Sheila Ghosh with certificate of participation.

Households that took part in the North London Food Waste Challenge reduced their weekly food waste by 38 per cent, the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and Waste Watch announced at a celebration event at the House of Commons last week (30 January).

The challenge, which took place from October to December 2012, involved seven households in total, one from each of the seven NLWA boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest and looked at ways in which they could reduce their food waste.

In the first week, the participants went about their ‘business as usual’ – shopping, cooking and eating as they would normally do in an average week – and made a simple diary chart recording the weight of their binned food and the cost of their weekly food shop.

Following week one, a food waste advisor visited each household, discussed their diary chart with them and provided each with a ‘food rescue pack’ containing tools, tips and recipes to help them cut down on their food waste. The participants were also given individual advice on measures they could take such as planning meals, checking dates, getting portions right, using up leftovers and storing food correctly.

Each household then tried to reduce their wastage, and received another follow-up visit in December so that their progress could be assessed and they could be given any further advice if needed.

According to the NLWA, on average, the households cut down on their food waste by 38 per cent and reduced their weekly food bill by 30 per cent, or £32 per week. One household was commended for achieving a 75 per cent reduction.

The seven households that took part were rewarded for their efforts with a certificate and voucher for an organic vegetable box to be delivered every week for a month.

Reducing food waste 'could save £50 per month'

Councillor Clyde Loakes, Chair of the NLWA, commented: “These amazing results make it clear that the average north London household could save a massive amount every month just by wasting less food – but we shouldn’t forget that the cost of wasted food stretches far beyond the home too. Waste disposal costs are also rising, making it more expensive for your local council to dispose of it, when the money could be spent on much better things, like schools and social care. That’s why we’re putting such an intensive effort into working alongside these valiant families who have volunteered to help us show north Londoners how to reduce their food waste.

“The Challenge aims to demonstrate just how easy it is to reduce the amount of food that is thrown away when you plan your meals, know your dates, get your portions perfect, get creative with leftovers and store your food safely. The average north London household could save up to £50 per month - just by wasting less food.”

The NLWA also commented that, due to the recession and rising food prices, ‘saving money on our food bills is becoming more and more important to us all’.

Food waste makes up nearly 30 per cent of the 846,000 tonnes of waste north London generates per year, however this figure is expected to grow to over one million tonnes in the future as housing growth takes place.

In order to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill (and achieve a 50 per cent recycling rate), NLWA – the UK’s second largest waste disposal authority – and the seven participating north London boroughs have agreed to implement a joint municipal waste management plan.

According to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, 50 per cent of food gets thrown away worldwide and research from Finland’s Aalto University shows that by halving food losses worldwide, it would be possible to sustain a further one billion inhabitants on current world food production levels.

Read more about reducing food waste in north London.