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An apple a day gets thrown away

A staggering 4.4 million whole apples are being thrown away untouched every day by households in the UK with fruit and vegetables making up a huge 40 per cent of food waste according to the latest figures from Waste Awareness Wales’ campaign Love Food Hate Waste / Hoffi Bwyd Casáu Gwastraff.

The figures compiled for the campaign by the Waste & Resources Action Programme show that on average each day every household in Wales throws out one portion of fruit or vegetables – contributing to the staggering £400 million of food we throw out every year. The most common fruit and vegetables which are thrown out are apples, potatoes, bananas, tomatoes and oranges.

However a research team has been put together to find out just why we are wasting so much fresh produce, and how we can reduce the 350,000 tonnes of food we bin in Wales each year.

The team – including retailers such as Sainsburys – have found the main reason we bin so much fresh food is because we simply don’t eat it in time.

Anna Richards, manager of Waste Awareness Wales said:

"We all know we should be eating fruit and vegetables to keep ourselves healthy – but by binning such large amounts of fruit and vegetables not only are we not getting the benefit from these but we are also wasting huge amounts of money in the process. However, we can make a few small changes to make our fruit and veg last long enough for us to eat it – for example nearly 60 per cent of us store our fruit at room temperature but keeping it cool in the fridge can keep it edible for much longer, up to two weeks in some cases.

"It is changes such as this that can help us all reduce the amount we send to landfill each year – when we throw food away not only does it take up valuable room in landfill sites, but as it rots it creates the greenhouse gas methane, which contributes to climate change. So eating your apples is not just good for you – preventing them from being binned is good for the environment too."

In support of the campaign Sainsbury’s are offering new information to customers in the fruit and vegetable aisles on storing these foods, and free "tip cards" with seasonal recipes. Alison Austin from Sainsbury’s says:

"In light of these new findings we’re taking action to help customers not just buy healthy fresh produce, but eat it and enjoy it too. We’re tackling the task in two ways: showing shoppers how to keep their food fresh for much longer and then inspiring them to use it in delicious meals. Sainsbury’s are the first retailer to provide specific storage advice on loose fruit and vegetables in every store."

Top tips from Waste Awareness Wales on keeping fruit and vegetables fresher for longer:

• Keep tomatoes in the fridge to keep them firm and fresher for longer. Try keeping them in a loosely tied bag to keep them even firmer.
• Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place – keeping them in a vegetable bag retains freshness. They can even be stored in a bag in the fridge if you have room.
• A fruit bowl isn’t the best place for apples – keep them in the fridge. Those with sensitive teeth may want to bring them to room temperature before eating.
• Always store broccoli in the fridge – otherwise it tends to soften and go yellow quickly. Keeping it in a vegetable bag will help it stay fresher for longer.
• Lemons and peppers are best kept in a bag in the fridge – this way they retain more moisture so stay fresher for longer.

Top 5 fruit and vegetables wasted in the UK

1. Apples:    179,000 tonnes wasted per year or 4,400,000 pieces a day
2. Potatoes:  177,000 tonnes wasted per year or 5,100,000 pieces a day
3. Bananas:   78,000 tonnes wasted per year or 1,600,000 pieces a day
4. Tomatoes: 46,000 tonnes wasted per year or 2,800,000 pieces a day
5. Oranges:    45,000 tonnes wasted per year or 1,200,000 pieces a day

For further hints and tips on storage as well as recipe ideas for using up fruit and vegetables visit our 'Love Food Hate Waste' pages