Shipping Plastic Bottles to China Produces Less CO2 than Sending Them to UK Landfill

A WRAP study has found that selling the UK’s used plastic bottles and paper for recycling in China actually saves carbon emissions. Shipping these materials more than 10,000 miles produces less CO2 than sending them to landfill at home and using brand new materials.

The transport issue is just one factor in assessing the environmental impact of exporting materials for recycling. However, it has become increasingly important to understand, as over the last ten years exports of used paper have risen from 470,000 tonnes to 4.7 million tonnes. Exports of used plastic bottles have gone from less than 40,000 tonnes to half a million tonnes over the same period.

This increase reflects the huge rise in household recycling in the UK from 7% to over 30% during that time.

We collect more paper than we can recycle, but there is strong demand for it from growing economies, such as China, where there are not enough trees to make paper.

Plastic bottles are also much in demand from China’s manufacturing industry and there is currently insufficient capacity in the UK to reprocess them here. This study shows it is environmentally less harmful to send that material to China for reprocessing than sending it to landfill in the UK.

This study sought to answer the specific question of whether the CO2 emissions from the transport outweighed the benefits of the recycling. It quantifies the CO2 emissions from transporting one tonne of recovered mixed paper or recovered plastic (PET/HDPE) bottles to China. It assumes that the carbon savings of recycling in China are similar to those identified in other countries, including the UK.

The study showed that the emissions caused by transporting the material to China account for only a small amount - on average less than a third – of the CO2 saved by recycling. However, due to the imbalance of trade between China and the UK, the majority of container ships head back to China empty and they are producing CO2 emissions whether or not they are carrying cargo. If you take this into account, the transport emissions are even smaller - less than one-tenth of the overall amount of CO2 saved by recycling.

This study is not a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), although it forms a necessary part of the evidence base to demonstrate that exporting the material to China is environmentally sustainable. To answer this question in full, further work on the relative environmental impacts of recycling processes in China and the UK would be required.

“It may seem strange that transporting our unwanted paper and plastic bottles such a distance would actually be better for the environment but that is what the evidence from this study shows. As more and more of this material is being sold to China we wanted to know the impact that was having on the environment, and specifically whether the CO2 emissions from the transport outweighed the benefits of the recycling. Although this study is only part of the environmental impact story, it is clear that there are significant CO2 savings that can be made by shipping our unwanted paper and plastic to China. In some cases, we just aren’t able to reprocess everything we collect or there isn’t enough of it to do so. In these cases, shipping it to China, which has a high demand and need for material, makes sense in CO2 terms. WRAP will continue to build both the environmental and economic case for domestic recycling.”
Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP

The study was carried out by Oakdene Hollins and critically reviewed by ERM.

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How Much CO2 is in Your Breakfast Cereal This Morning?

According to New Scientist (13th September 2008), a bowl of cereal has the same carbon footprint as a 7km journey in a 4x4. According to reporter Bijal Trivedi, our shopping baskets are spewing greenhouse gases, but it's easy to cut out the culprits.

333g of CO2eq is emitted to make one hard-boiled egg. Compared with a bowl of cereal with milk at 1224 grams.

There's lots of other exciting reads in the feature article, for more information, you can check the New Scientist website.


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Tesco Ireland Opening First Eco Store Next Month

Tesco Ireland will be opening its first environmental store ("eco store") in Tramore next month. When completed the 30,000 sq ft retail outlet will use 45% less energy than a supermarket of a similar size. Setting a new benchmark for green technology and construction in retail in Ireland, Tesco Tramore will save 420 tonnes of CO2, a 30% annual saving. It's all part of a number of steps that Tesco is taking to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations.

Features of the eco store include;

• Timber frame shop floor instead of traditional steel
• Enhanced insulation to minimize heat loss
• Trigeneration Combined Heat and Power Plant producing the majority of all central heating and hot water for the store whilst also contributing to the electricity generation
• Double glazing sections in the roof to maximise natural light
• Photovoltaic roof cells that generate electricity for use instore
• Roof-top rainwater collection for use in toilets
• Cold air recycling system which takes cold air from chilled areas to warmer areas - reducing the need for air conditioning
• CO2 based refrigeration replacing the more traditional HFC refrigerants.
• Energy-saving LED lighting in all fridges with below shelving lips in dairy and milk cabinets to reduce cool air loss
• Bakery ovens that are 50% more efficient than similar installations
• Photocell lights in loading areas which are triggered by low external light
• Light movement sensors to ensure lights in offices and other staff areas are only on when this space is in use
• The building as designed will receive an A1 Building Energy Rating (BER) the highest energy efficient rating

Tesco Ireland is taking a number of practical steps to reduce its environmental impact and to help consumers make informed greener choices based on good science. The company is measuring the carbon footprint of 30 Tesco own brand products, measuring the overall CO2 emissions throughout their life cycle.

Since announcing its Strategy for the Environment and Carbon Reduction last year Tesco Ireland has been investing and trialling new technologies throughout its store network, and as a result has developed a more sustainable blueprint for its new buildings. This includes an extensive energy management programme with energy managers appointed locally to all stores. The company commissioned its first Combined Heat and Power unit at Tesco Nutgrove store last year, saving 25% in energy costs. A bio diesel mix has been introduced to the distribution truck fleet along with double deck trailers which will save on road miles.

Pictured is the 50,000sq ft Tesco in Wick, in the north of Scotland. It was designed to be the most environmentally-friendly of its kind in the UK, and it is expected to have a 50 percent smaller carbon footprint than similar sized traditionally built stores. Not only is the building envelope designed to have minimum impact on the environment but construction methods were also as low-carbon as possible, while road freight was replaced with shipping to reduce both emissions and road congestion.

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Delivered Milk is Cleaner, Greener and Easier to Swallow

Since the early 90's, milkmen have struggled to remain competitive in the market against the convenience of 24/7 supermarkets with loss leading pricing tactics. This has inevitably saw a decline in the number of milkmen in the UK by over 10 000 in the last ten years, as more people turn to the supermarkets and existing clients (as they were often elderly) pass away. It's a tough life for milkmen rising as early as 2am, to go to the dairy to load their floats with the milk for the day. A job they love, but under the pressure from the supermarkets, one which pays a standard wage. Self-employed, to make a living they need to sell at least 500 gallons a week, they have little time off, even during bereavement and illness.

But as people try to green their lives some are turning back to the milkman as a way of receiving their milk fresh and green daily (or we hope).

The latest figures from WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, suggest that the UK milk industry is responsible for 130,000 tonnes of plastic waste, every year. To put that into perspective this is the more than the amount of plastic that is required for the total annual use of plastic bags in the UK.

Or ... 19 066 667 600 bags ... to be precise is the milk industry equivalent.

Plastic is a funny substance and can't really be recycled more than once, so there are limitations as to the amount of times it can be reused, and even more limitations on the types of products that they can replace, not to mention the way in which the plastic is collected, sorted and recycled. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE.

Or ... 228 229 285 litres of petroleum ... enough to power a Peugeot 107 for 3.08 billion miles.

Milkmen use cute clinky glass bottles (not all, best to ask first, avoid shock later), these can be reused twenty times before they need to be recycled. They also are virtually infinitely recyclable, although quality tends to degrade after the seventh time. The added advantage is the milkman collects the empty bottles on his next delivery, this allows the bottles to be effectively removed from all waste streams.

Most milkmen in the UK travel on clean green electric milk floats which emit no CO2 emissions other than those from electricity generation, and the milk floats are exceptionally efficient in terms of energy used, compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. One manufacture of these vehicles is Smith, who have diversified into other electric powered commercial vehicles.

We know know the packaging is greener and the distribution, but what about production, either way it is the same, but should we be consuming diary products at all? They are after-all renowned for the carbon intensive farming. The carbon footprint of 1 pint of milk is 596g of CO2.

1.05g of CO2 / 1ml of Milk

Now comes the real choice in what you consume and how it can affect your carbon footprint, organic milk uses three times less energy to produce because it doesn't require energy-intensive fertiliser. This should in effect reduce CO2 emissions by 55%, assuming 83% of CO2 is from production.

0.47g of CO2 / 1ml of Organic Milk (estimated)

So if you don't have a milkman already, it might be an idea to find one, I went in search, if you live in Northern Ireland, you can contact your local dairy, or visit Dale Farm. For the rest of the UK, you can try Find Me a Milkman or Deliver Milk.

Whilst delivered milk is slightly more expensive, this added cost also means you will likely never run out of milk, it's fresh, it's delivered and when saying I'm just going to the supermarket for milk, you categorically spend twenty times that of what you intended to buy in the first place, half an hour in the store and another 15 minutes driving there and parking in the packed out supermarket, and it doesn't come in a cute clinky glass bottle.

If you have a milkman I'd love to hear your comments and the price you pay for a pint of milk to debunk the ideas that milkmen charge exorbitant prices! I have faith.


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Organic Can be Cheaper

It bemuses me as I shop that some organic products are cheaper, especially as we are use to the profiteering of such eco-credentials, however one product that I have noticed remains consistently cheaper than its non-organic counter-part is Ambrosia Creamed Rice. Yesterday at Tesco, it was a cool 23p a tin cheaper for the organic version, certified by the Soil Association, that means less nasties used to make your food. The ingredients in the product that are organically grown are "Full Cream Milk", there's a glass and a half in each 425g tin, I'll have you know. Rice and Sugar.

Founded in 1917, as an infant nutrition company, Ambrosia has grown to become one of Britain's best known and loved brands, number one in both the custard and creamed pudding markets. You'll find a large range of their products in supermarkets across the UK, all made using high-quality milk delivered fresh to their Devon dairy and containing no artificial colours or preservatives.

Ambrosia is a trademark of Premier Foods, the UK's largest food producer. More than 99% of all UK households bought a Premier Foods brand last year and 43 million people eat one of our branded products every two weeks. At the forefront of their corporate mantra is efficiency and carbon management setting their main goals of;

• 10% energy reduction target in 2009 from a 2008 baseline
• Zero waste to landfill by 2015
• 20% water use reduction by 2020

I have contacted Premier Foods about this to ask about this issue further, and will update you should I get a reply. I'm quite glad that some companies, whether intentionally or not have price decisions which ultimately encourage consumers to be more environmentally friendly. Why would any one opt to pay the extra 23p per tin for a product which in my opinion tastes the exact same, but is easier to swallow knowing that the product was produced with organic ingredients, helping to reduce harmful chemicals from entering the food supply and effectively us.


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Charity Shops Reports Bumper Profits as Credit Crunch Crisis Continues

It seems as times get hard people are turning to charity shops as a way of beating the credit crunch. The profits of the top charity shops rose 7.4% to a total of £106.7m over the past year, in stark contrast to falls across the rest of the retail sector.

Recent figures from the British Retail Consortium show that retail sales values were down almost 1% from July 2008.

"Trading conditions, as for all retailing, are now extremely tough, however, evidence from previous slowdowns is that charity shops are well placed to weather economic storms as cash-strapped consumers turn to them for value for money. If charity shops continue to respond to consumer needs, then they are well-placed to come out of this downturn in a good position."
David Moir, Association of Charity Shops

Not that I frequent charity shops, but we can all look on the positive side, charity shops often make use of the stuff we would otherwise throw away, sending straight to landfill. Whilst I'm sure not everything recieved can be found a loving new home, most can, whether it be retro chic 1980's attire or used CD's, DVDs, games or jigsaws, its recycling. Could the economic crisis also yeild even more vintage and quality second hand clothes stores?

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Our Food ... Our Future

From the butter mountains of a decade ago, millions are now facing starvation around the world as food prices rocket. Our Food, Our Future on BBC Radio Four will explore the facts and the myths surrounding the debate and the implications for food production in the future.

The show can be heard on Radio Four Mondays at 9.00am. Or on BBC iPlayer for upto seven days after broadcast.

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Tesco Launch New Recycled Plastic Bag

Tesco have launched their new Cath Kidston 'stripe' bag, you can get it in store from Monday 18th August. This new addition follows hot on the heels of the first two bags, 'multi floral' and 'blue spot', which launched in early July. Cath Kidston’s stunning bag designs for Tesco are great to look at as well as eco friendly, and they will donate 50p to Marie Curie Cancer Care for each one sold!

Just because you want to be green doesn’t mean you can’t be fun and stylish, the stunning range of re-usable bags created for Tesco by leading designer Cath Kidston are perfect for all your shopping and an alternative to plastic carrier bags. The bags are available in all Tesco Superstores and Extras. Three further vintage prints will be available later in the year. They’re just £3.50 each, but stocks are limited.

What’s more, for each bag sold, Tesco will give 50p to charity, Marie Curie Cancer Care. There will be no profit going to Tesco or Cath Kidston Ltd and we are guaranteeing that a minimum of £250,000 will be raised for this superb charitable cause.

Each bag is made out of nine recycled 500ml plastic bottles. Just like the school clothes we mentioned in today's earlier post, we are giving tesco far too much space. And, of course, every time you re-use these (or any other) bags at Tesco we’ll give you Green Clubcard Points to say thank you.

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Robinsons Shave Two Grams off a Bottle

Leading soft drinks company Britvic today announced it is reducing the amount of packaging in the UK’s favourite squash brand, Robinsons, with the introduction of a new lighter bottle. The new 1 litre bottle is 2 grams lighter which will save an estimated 330 tonnes of plastic a year, equivalent to over 9 million empty bottles, and reduce the energy needed to make the bottles at the Robinsons factory in Norwich by 5%.

Over the past two years Britvic has invested more than £5 million in making changes to its Robinsons brand to reduce the weight of packaging used, saving 1600 tonnes of plastic overall.

The new 1 litre plastic bottle, made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is another step towards Britvic’s target to remove a total of 5,000 tonnes of packaging by December 2010 as part of the government-backed Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Britvic was the first soft drinks company to sign up to WRAP which aims to design out packaging waste growth and deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste across the industry.

“Robinsons has come a long way in reducing its impact on the environment in the last two years but as always we are focused on further packaging reductions as well as energy and water usage reductions across all Britvic brands and at all our manufacturing sites. With Robinsons representing a quintessential family brand that sells over 200 million bottles a year, we are committed to playing our part in ensuring a sustainable future for further generations of families.”
Paul Moody, Chief Executive, Britvic

Tesco Save 72m Bags in Northern Ireland

Tesco customers in Northern Ireland have saved 72m plastic carrier bags in the last two years since implementing "Green Clubcard" points scheme in July 2006.

The scheme allows you to reuse your old plastic bags from any retailer, a bag for life, or any other receptical to carry your goods away, in exchange for avoiding the use of a single use bag you can collect recieve a clubcard point. Often at the discretion of the customer service staff.

This figure would represent a saving of 491 tonnes of bags, across the two years of the scheme, or 20 bags per person per year, approximately a 12% reduction in the annual bags used in Northern Ireland, and from just one retailer. Nationwide, the campaign has lead to a reduction of approximately 1.5 billion bags since inception.

Zara's Organic Cotton Collection

International clothing retailer Zara, have officially launched their Organic Cotton range with an "Eco Warning". You can view their promotional movie on their website. Below is stills from just that, and includes some of the tees for men and women you can find instore now.

So why is organic cotton eco chic and so much environmentally friendlier than your standard cotton. Non-organic cotton is considered to be one of the dirtiest crops in the world, to produce one cotton tee would require 150ml of potentially leathal pesticides, so deadly one drop could kill you.

Organic cotton is obviously made without pesticides, environmentally sound, and safer for those who pick the cotton.

So what has Zara got to offer ... (lets hope that they move to 100% organic across their entire clothing collection in the near future)

Eco Design in Victoria Square

On a recent trip to the almost new Victoria Square shopping complex in Belfast, some rather interesting, but basic environmentally friendly features have been included into the core concepts of the complex. With an open ended mall there is no need to heat or cool the air inside, the glass ceiling providing sufficient light to illuminate the main walkways, where concrete ceilings exist large solar tubes funnel light to those areas minimising the need for extra lighting.

In the toilets, each cubicle has light sensors, illuminating each only when a person enters. The toilets also have dual flush functions to save water. The basin also benefit from sensors to reduce water use.

Picture: Tesco Carbon Labels hit the Shelves

Shoppers can now see the full array of products with carbon labels in store, that Tesco announced earlier this year, and suggestions on which products are greener.

Fast Food with a Conscience?

With our lives becoming so deluged with work, socialising, sleeping and eating. Sometimes convenience food is a must to squeeze the most out of your 24 hours a day. So can you eat fast food and not kill 23 people, destroy 2 trees, and waste 30000 litres of water on the other side of the world through global warming, not to mention slave and child labour?

McDonalds and other leading players have long been relentlessly criticised in the media day in, day out ranging from where they source their meat to how it is sold.

I work in the hospitality industry as a manager and it does perturb me the disregard for the environment by many fast food giants. Although they are wising up to "green-washing" and moving towards a greener future, as it not only makes them look good, it also saves them money.

Examples of such positive green ideas exist in worldwide submarine sandwich chain SUBWAY;

• First SUBWAY® Eco-Store opened November 9, 2007 in Kissimmee, FL
• SUBWAY® Napkin saves approximately 60,500,000 gallons of water and an additional 147,000 trees annually because they are made from 100% recycled fiber processed chlorine free.
• All liquid cleaners used in SUBWAY® restaurants are non-corrosive, readily biodegradable, and are manufactured without the use of phosphates and ammonia
• Distribution Efforts were made to strategically relocate several redistribution centers next to vendor manufacturing facilities, eliminating the need to transport product from long distances. So far, the move saves an estimated 1,660,079 gallons of fuel per year and eliminates 10,491 truck loads annually.

More information on Greenwashing by SUBWAY can be found at their Green Living section.

Beyond locally grown meat and produce, eco-fast food must look to their entire operation to create a sustainable business model, from recycled packaging, biodegradable cleaning products, and renewable energy to pizza delivered with electric or hybrid powered vehicles.

The Massachusetts-based non-profit Green Restaurant Association has helped restaurants interested in greening their operations by setting guidelines and defining the exact 11—step process required for “certification” as a green restaurant.

Those steps are:

1. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
2. Water Efficiency and Conservation
3. Recycling and Composting
4. Sustainable Food
5. Pollution Prevention
6. Recycled, Tree-Free, Biodegradable and Organic Products
7. Chlorine-Free Paper Products
8. Non-Toxic Cleaning and Chemical Products
9. Green Power
10. Green Building and Construction
11. Education

But are there really any options for ethical, green, eco friendly fast food without a conscience? According to Ode magazine there is some almost heavenly low CO2 fast food restaurants out there, they look at a few in their must read article by Mary Desmond Pinkowish from the April 2008 edition.

Unfortunately this is all stateside eco fast food (with the exception of Pret A Manger), what about in the UK?

No eco fast food joints that I am aware of, please let me know if you know of any, so I can visit for a bite to eat and look at your credentials. But there are some environmentally aware restaurants out there, in London at least (provided by SugarVine).

The leading light so far has to be Acorn House, situated, of all carbon-crazy places, in King’s Cross, which surely must speak volumes about the good intentions of the planners so far. Co-founded by the Shoreditch Trust and the Terence Higgins Trust, this is a combination of restaurant, chef’s school and ecological powerhouse. To sum up the concept as succinctly as possible, the idea is to take 10 budding chefs from the community (à la Jamie) and train them alongside a full time team in the restaurant. But it doesn’t stop there: the restaurant building itself is constructed entirely from recycled and/or organic material; the water is purified on site to save packaging and air miles; all the waste is recycled; the electricity is completely green; and if supplies do come from foreign shores, they are shipped by boat, not by air.

All this would be in vain, however, if the food wasn’t up to scratch. Luckily it seems to be heading in an eclectic, but definitely tempting, direction. They open from breakfast through to dinner, ‘to reflect modern London life’, and, in another brilliant stroke of genius, the size of the portions vary, to minimise food wastage, so if you’re starving, but your mate’s barely peckish, you can mix and match to your stomach’s content. The food ranges slightly in culinary influence, from roast shoulder of mutton with rosemary and quince; buffalo mozzarella with fennel, chilli and olives; fried (wild) salmon with barley broth; and even pheasant and pomegranate salad. The prices range from £8 to £14 per plate, which seems unbelievably reasonable, but is evidently the case. And it’s not all hemp chairs and rope floors either: the interior is just a cool, neutral, modern space that retains a distinctly grown-up, and not at all worthy, air.

Of course, not everyone is quite there yet, but one of the easier options if you’re trying to save the planet is to go local. In the case of Konstam at the Prince Albert again also, curiously, in King’s Cross, Oliver Rowe, chef patron and late of Moro, couldn’t have stayed more local -- all his ingredients, including most beers and wine, are sourced from within the M25, which, whether you can believe it or not, is true. Not only does this cut down on transport costs and packaging, but ensures that he only gets seasonal produce. Even the oil used in cooking and with the bread is rapeseed rather than olive oil, which is dedication to the cause. The ingredients are used in a modern British way, so think Norbury Blue cheese with honeycomb, a luscious combination; Waltham Abbey chicken with sage and onion sauce; or even nettle pierogi (one assumes that sometimes necessity, and a slight shortage occasionally, is the mother of invention). The restaurant itself is very patriotically British Racing Green, with low lighting and delicate chandeliers used to great effect. No doubt the television series has helped bookings enormously, but the atmosphere is buzzy and welcoming, and again, there is no leftover taste of worthiness.

Taking the Notting Hillbillies by storm, Bumpkin has become a one-stop shop for all-day deli and restaurant fun. Opened by the team behind Cocoon, despite the name, it’s not so much Yorkshire farmer as Trinny-and-Susannah-styled rural peasant, but it’s none the worse for that. Set over three floors, the ground floor is styled as a country brasserie and deli, featuring simple grills such as Gloucester Old Spot pork chop and very hearty pies, including cow pie, fast becoming notorious; the first floor is a more refined version of the same food (with concomitant price rise); and a top floor for private dining. The eco edge comes from their ingredient sourcing: the meat comes from the highly-regarded Frank Godfrey in Highbury, who in turn only sources traceable, organic, well-brought-up produce; the fruit and veg hail from Secrett’s in Surrey, every chef’s favourite veg supplier, completely pesticide and nasty-free. The ales are decidedly British, the cider is organic, and the fish is line caught or sustainable, which is a lot better than others are professing to do, and everything else is Fairtrade where appropriate. All of this may sound fairly standard by now, but it’s still not across the board, so to find that more and more restaurants are proudly stating their affiliations can only be a good thing, and make it easier to eat in an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion.

Of course, vegetarians are always going to have it that bit easier when it comes to ethical sourcing, as there’s none of that pesky meat to worry about. Vitaorganic Café in the Aveda shop in Marylebone has to be one of the most detoxifying experiences there is. The food is billed as organic, live and ‘enzymatic’ (which must be good, right?). They use no refined foodstuffs, and they use modern and ancient holistic principles to ‘cook’ their food. So, no temperatures above 100°C, no microwaves, no aluminium, or deep frying, so that everything is in its pure and natural state as far as is possible. According to Vitaorganic, they focus on UN – ultimate nutrition, ie raw foods; and ON – optimum nutrition, which means food cooked at a low temperature to prevent as much vitamin loss as possible. Not only is there all of this planet-loving energy-saving, but it’s all gluten and wheat free. The dishes on offer run along the lines of orange and sweet potato dhal, or green vegetable and sprouted buckwheat soup, which are not only delicious but filling and inexpensive to boot. Unsurprisingly, the owner is a practising Buddhist.

It’s impossible to have an eco-friendly list without mentioning the first and foremost runner in the eco-friendly stakes. The Duke of Cambridge in Islington remains one of the best and most ethically run gastropubs in the country, let alone London. It was way ahead of its time when it opened in 1998, pioneering seasonal, organic British food, using local sourcing, careful monitoring of food miles, buying direct from the farmers, and even now the beers are still brewed locally and the wines and spirits are organic where viable. The coffee is Fairtrade, and water is purified on the premises, and they have even installed wind and solar generated energy, along with strict recycling procedures and adherence to sustainable fish buying policies (which are so strict, they have been working with the Marine Conservation Society to make these rules more widespread). This has been a steady, ongoing development project over the last eight years, and it just goes to show that anyone can change their habits for the good, and still wow the diners (Won 2nd best bar in the UK 2006, as voted by Observer Food Monthly). The food remains rustic and true to its pub origins, with whole baked Camembert served with crudités and croutons or braised chuck beef with sweet potato mash.

The Food We Waste

In the UK we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year, roughly a third of everything we buy. Most of this avoidable and could have been eaten if only we had planned, stored and managed it better. Less than a fifth is truly unavoidable – things like bones, cores and peelings.

Nearly one quarter of the 4.1 million tonnes of avoidable food waste is thrown away whole, untouched or unopened. Of this, at least 340,000 tonnes is still in date when thrown away. A further 1.2 million tonnes is simply left on our plates. This all adds up to a story of staggering wastefulness.

The report of the ground-breaking study that provides, for the first time, reliable information about the nature, amount and origin of food waste produced by UK households. The purpose of the report is to assist WRAP, government, retailers and the food industry to develop policies, advice, tips and tools to help us all reduce the amount of good food we buy but don’t eat.

You can download the full report here.

Every day we throw away:

• 5.1 million whole potatoes
• 4.4 million whole apples
• 2.8 million whole tomatoes
• 7 million whole slices of bread
• 1.3 million unopened yoghurts and yoghurt drinks
• 1.2 million sausages
• 1 million slices of ham
• 0.7 million whole eggs
• 0.7 million whole bars of chocolate and unwrapped sweets
• 0.3 million unopened meat-based ready meals or takeaways
• 0.3 million unopened packets of crisps

All this wasted food is costly; in the UK we spend £10.2 billion every year buying and then throwing away good food. That works out at £420 for the average UK household. And for households with children it’s even more - £610 a year.

Local councils then spend another £1 billion collecting our food waste and sending most of it to landfill.

Food waste is also harmful to the environment. The food we throw away needlessly is responsible for the equivalent of 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year – that’s the same as the CO2 emitted by one in every five cars on UK roads. It’s not just the methane that’s released when the food goes to landfill that’s the problem, but also the energy spent producing, storing and transporting the food to us. Put another way, every tonne of food we throw away needlessly is responsible for 4.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Food waste is an enormous challenge, not least because most of us don’t yet recognise the amount we all produce. But it is also a massive opportunity – to reduce waste, save money and minimise our impact on the environment.

We can reduce our food waste by taking simple free measures;

• Sort your cupboards
  
  • Arrange your cupboards, fridge and freezer to ensure that you have no food which is past its "use by" date.
  • Arrange food by type and place in date order with the most recent date to the front.
  • You may find that you can survive without visiting the supermarket for a few weeks.
• Plan your meals
  
  • Plan in advance meals over a week, you do not need to physically write this down but mentally take note.
  • Be creative you can create some wonderful combinations from the scraps you find in a fridge.
• Plan your purchases
  
  • Plan in advance what you need from the supermarket.
  • Don't be tempted to buy items through special offers which you may not need or use within the use by date.
  • Do not buy items which you have multiples already.
    
  • Only purchase enough pershiables which you can use within the dates.
  • Do not go to the supermarket with "Eyes Bigger than Your Belly" and an empty stomach.
    
• Composting
  
  • Any food which you do not consume by the use by date can be added to a compost heap.
  • Packaged foods excessively past their best before date can be removed from their packaging and composted and the packaging recycled.
    
  • Compost bins can be purchased relatively cheaply and some local councils offer free compost bins.
    
  • Find Your Local Council Contact Details.

For more information on how to reduce food waste, visit WRAPs new site Love Food, Hate Waste.

The study, believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, consisted of a detailed survey of households and a physical analysis of their rubbish. It was designed to not only quantify the amounts and types of food waste being produced but to make links between this and the attitudes displayed by and disposal options available to the household.

A representative sample of 2,715 households in England and Wales was interviewed in July-October 2007, and several weeks later the waste from 2,138 of them was collected and analysed. These households were all within a group of 11 geographically representative local authority areas chosen to reflect a range of collection systems, including food waste collections. Participants were asked about their perceptions on a range of issues concerning household waste, focusing on food.

Households were informed that as part of the research their waste would be collected for analysis, asked for their signed consent, and given the chance to opt out if they chose. Bin analysis was only carried out with those who consented, which was the vast majority. A period of four weeks then elapsed before their waste was collected for analysis to ensure that any temporary behaviour changes as a result of increased awareness of the research had dissipated.

We used industry standard waste analysis techniques to sort and categorise the waste. We then defined the food waste as either: avoidable food waste – where the food has been thrown away because it is no longer wanted or has been allowed to go past its best. Examples include an
apple or half a pack of cheese; possibly avoidable food waste – where the food waste could possibly have been avoided but incorporates food items that can be eaten but that many choose not to. Examples include bread crusts and potato skins; and unavoidable food waste – where the food waste results from food preparation and includes foods such as meat bones and hard vegetable or fruit peelings such as melon rind.

After analysis, the waste was disposed of safely on the same day, with the assistance of the local authority or their contractor. Where facilities existed – in just under half the authorities involved – the food waste was sent for composting. The result of this detailed survey and physical analysis is a comprehensive analysis of how much food we throw away, who is throwing it away, and what it costs society.

Top 100 Foods Wasted in UK by Weight

The following tables list the top 100 types of food making up avoidable food waste in terms of the estimated annual weight for all UK households. Avoidable food waste is made up of food items that could have been eaten if they had been managed or stored better. The food may not have been fit for consumption at the time of disposal because it had gone mouldy or had been spoilt or it may have been thrown away because it was no longer wanted. Avoidable food waste excludes items that could not have been eaten such as bones or items that some people choose not to eat like vegetable peelings or bread crusts. These tables include both items thrown away whole and those partially consumed.

Food type (Weight in tonnes, % of Avoidable Waste)

1. Potatoes (359,000, 9.7%)
2. Bread slices (328,000, 8.8%)
3. Apples (190,000, 5.1%)
4. Meat or Fish Mixed Meals (161,000, 4.2%)
5. World breads (e.g. naan, tortilla) (102,000, 2.7%)
6. Vegetable mixed meals (96,000, 2.6%)
7. Pasta mixed meals (87,000, 2.3%)
8. Bread rolls/baguettes (86,000, 2.3%)
9. Rice mixed meals (85,000, 2.3%)
10. Mixed meals (85,000, 2.3%)
11. Bananas (84,000, 2.3%)
12. Bread Loaves (75,000, 2.0%)
13. Yoghurts/Yoghurt Drinks (67,000, 1.8%)
14. Sandwiches (63,000, 1.7%)
15. Cakes (62,000, 1.7%)
16. Lettuces (61,000, 1.7%)
17. Tomatoes (61,000, 1.7%)
18. Cabbages (56,000, 1.5%)
19. Cooked rice (55,000, 1.5%)
20. Mixed vegetables (53,000, 1.4%)
21. Oranges (51,000, 1.4%)
22. Carrots (46,000, 1.2%)
23. Onions (43,000, 1.2%)
24. Pears (42,000, 1.1%)
25. Sodas (42,000, 1.1%)
26. Milk (40,000, 1.1%)
27. Cheese (40,000, 1.1%)
28. Mixed Salad (37,000, 1.0%)
29. Cooked Pasta (36,000, 1.0%)
30. Mixed Snacks (36,000, 1.0%)
31. Melons (35,000, 0.9%)
32. Coleslaw (33,000, 0.9%)
33. Pizzas (32,000, 0.9%)
34. Chicken Portions (32,000, 0.9%)
35. Cucumbers (32,000, 0.9%)
36. Chocolate/sweets (31,000, 0.8%)
37. Sweetcorn/Corn on the Cob (30,000, 0.8%)
38. Sausages (30,000, 0.8%)
39. Pork Portions (29,000, 0.8%)
40. Biscuits/Crackers/Crisp Breads (27,000, 0.7%)
41. Water (27,000, 0.7%)
42. Beans (excluding baked beans) (26,000, 0.7%)
43. Grapes (22,000, 0.6%)
44. Ham (22,000, 0.6%)
45. Plums (20,000, 0.6%)
46. Squashes/Cordials (20,000, 0.5%)
47. Breakfast cereals (20,000, 0.5%)
48. Cook-in sauces (19,000, 0.5%)
49. Fruit juices (19,000, 0.5%)
50. Eggs (19,000, 0.5%)
51. Fish (19,000, 0.5%)
52. Beef portions (18,000, 0.5%)
53. Dough (18,000, 0.5%)
54. Celery (17,000, 0.5%)
55. Strawberries (16,000, 0.4%)
56. Peppers (15,000, 0.4%)
57. Chicken drumsticks (15,000, 0.4%)
58. Flour (15,000, 0.4%)
59. Chicken breasts (15,000, 0.4%)
60. Mushrooms (15,000, 0.4%)
61. Broccoli (15,000, 0.4%)
62. Sandwich spreads (14,000, 0.4%)
63. Baked beans (14,000, 0.4%)
64. Bacon (14,000, 0.4%)
65. Peaches (13,000, 0.4%)
66. Milkshakes/milk drinks (13,000, 0.4%)
67. Crisps (12,000, 0.3%)
68. Lemons (12,000, 0.3%)
69. Beetroots (12,000, 0.3%)
70. Fruit pies/strudels/crumbles (12,000, 0.3%)
71. Jams (11,000, 0.3%)
72. Pheasants (11,000, 0.3%)
    
73. Dips (10,000, 0.3%)
    
74. Mixed fruits (10,000 0.3%)
    
75. Butter/margarine (10,000 0.3%)
    
76. Herbs/spices (10,000 0.3%)
    
77. Dessert cakes/gateaux (9000, 0.2%)
    
78. Cream (9000, 0.2%)
    
79. Pineapples (9000, 0.2%)
    
80. Crumpets (9000, 0.2%)
    
81. Pastry (9000, 0.2%)
    
82. Chicken products (9000, 0.2%)
    
83. Pet food (9000, 0.2%)
    
84. Yorkshire pudding and other batters (8000, 0.2%)
    
85. Cauliflowers (8000, 0.2%)
    
86. Uncooked pasta (8000, 0.2%)
    
87. Leeks (8000, 0.2%)
    
88. Milk puddings (custard etc) (8000, 0.2%)
    
89. Doughnuts (8000, 0.2%)
    
90. Oils (8000, 0.2%)
    
91. Mayonnaise/salad cream (7000, 0.2%)
    
92. Spring onions (6000, 0.2%)
    
93. Peas (6000, 0.2%)
    
94. Turnips/swedes (6000, 0.2%)
    
95. Parsnips (6000, 0.2%)
    
96. Burgers (6000, 0.2%)
    
97. Lamb (6000, 0.2%)
    
98. Pickles (6000, 0.2%)
    
99. Nuts (6000, 0.2%)
    
100. Mangos (6000, 0.2%)

Source: WRAP

Gordon Brown: Charge for Plastic Bags ... or Else

Gordon Brown writing for the Daily Mail today has announced plans that if UK retailers can not reduce their reliance on plastic bags over the next year he will enact plans to introduce a mandatory charge on each bag, and reveal the revenue generated.

The Prime Minister will introduce legislation next month to impose a charge of 5p or even more on all giveaway bags next year if they fail to comply. Yesterday, the trade body which represents 33,000 convenience stores said they are ready to accept a plastic bag tax in a bid to reduce the number handed out.

Supermarket Tesco used 3bn plastic bags last year. It does not charge for them, instead offering bonuses such as extra clubcard points if they re-use bags. A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said the supermarket had a policy of encouraging its customers to "reduce, reuse and recycle". She also said that since April 2007 there had been a 10% reduction in the number of free plastic bags given out, which is the equivalent of 85m bags. A spokesman for Asda said it was on target to reduce the environmental impact of its carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008.

"I am convinced we need to act - and the time to act is now. I have already made clear that over time, we should aim to eliminate the single-use plastic bag altogether."
Gordon Brown

A voluntary agreement brokered by the Government to reduce the use of plastic bags by 25 per cent is behind target. Official figures show the number of bags issued by retailers has fallen by only 7.4 per cent in a year. The written feature in today's Daily Mail follows on from yesterday's announcement by Marks & Spencer to introduce a five pence per bag charge nationwide after trials in Northern Ireland and Southwest England. The trial saw a reduction in plastic bag use by 70% and raised substantial funds for environmental charity Groundworks Northern Ireland.

"The company wanted to make it easy for our customers to do their bit to help the environment. On top of this, our customers will be raising valuable funds to go to our partner charity, Groundwork, to invest in much-needed green spaces in our neighbourhoods".
Sir Stuart Rose, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer

The plastic bag is a blight on our environment, to find out more reasons on why plastic and paper bags damage our environment check out Paper or Plastic?

The Wall of Open Doors

Wall of Shame


After ranting about companies keeping their doors open, and the waste generated by such practices, I promised I would go out on the streets and get some evidence of which companies were the big offenders. After some procrastination due to bad weather, I eventually went out on to the streets today (as I had to do something else for work anyway) to take some pictures of national companies that simply don't want to close their doors. Today was cold, wet, windy and miserable (it rained for 3 hours before I went out, and I was almost blown off my feet as I walked down the street, so you would like to think that UK retailers would be closing the doors to keep their staff and customers warm. If you thought this you would be wrong. Above is a montage of pictures with the offenders on the day. I will be out again some day in the next week at another location to take more pictures. I will email most of today's offenders asking what their company policy is on the issue. If I get any replies I will add them to the post.

On a positive note most small independent retailers kept their doors shut and some big names such as Orange and Boots also kept their doors closed.

If you would like to add to the montage please email your pics to support@howtosaveenergy.co.uk

List of Shame (Please Click on linked store to read their response to our queries);
Argos
Birthday's
The Body Shop
Bon Marche
Burton
The Carphone Warehouse
Clockwork Orange
French Connection
Game
Holland & Barrett
Mothercare (automated doors permanently open)
Next
O2
Oxfam
River Island
Thornton's
Top Shop
Vodafone
Waterstones
Woolworths (automated doors permanently open)

List of Fame;
Action Cancer
Boots
Cancer Research
Orange
The Post Office
Specsavers