Recycling over summer.

                                       

With summer well under way and many holidays and getaways approaching we know a lot of food is likely to go to waste. Unfortunately, this has a significant impact on not only the environment but your own money. The average UK household spends £470 on food that ends up in the bin and 41% of this is food that hasn't been eaten in time. Below are some tips to help you get your moneys worth for the food you are buying and, to also make a positive impact on our environment. 

Food waste. 

If you're going on holiday this summer and you feel you have too much food stocked in your fridge that is likely to go off before you get back, don't bin it! You can freeze the food at home and use it a later date. However, if you feel you're going to freeze it and never use it you can drop it off at a community fridge near you, find your nearest one with our Zero Waste Map here.

How you store your food is significant for preventing food waste, many people throw food out that has turned bad before they get the chance to eat it but you can maximise the shelf life of your products at home. For fruits and vegetables store the majority of these in the fridge with the exception of bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and onions which are best stored at room temperature. For meat, poultry and seafood place these in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in the fridge. 

For large gatherings food portions are sometimes hard to get right and many think it is better to have too much than not enough but 25% of food is wasted due to cooking too much. If you find yourself in a position of cooking too much, you can re-purpose meals into something else or make a new recipe with the leftovers.

Disposable barbecues. 

Disposable barbecues seem quick and easy however, they unfortunately pose a significant risk to our environment. Not only are they are huge fire risk but not being disposed of correctly contributes to our environment. If you do use a disposable barbecue we hope you use it responsibly, to dispose of it correctly you'll need to separate the ashes and the metal when cooled down and place these in your general rubbish bin. The tin foil tray can be rinsed and then popped into your recycling bin. If you used any wooden skewers these can be composted at home or they can go into your garden waste bin. For more information on at home composting click here. 

Barbecues at home. 

If you're using your own barbecue or you're having a gathering round a fire, the charcoal or wood ash you have can be disposed of depending on what category the charcoal or wood ash falls under. If charcoal has been treated, this will need to be disposed of in your general rubbish bin and if charcoal or wood ash hasn't been treated this can be used as a soil fertiliser, composted at home or can be disposed of in your garden waste bin. 

Refills and reuse. 

You can simply contribute to a greener environment this summer by using reusable water bottles. If you're going on a day trip or even a holiday, take your reusable water bottles with you and utilise water fountains or drinking water taps. 

When eating foods that come with inedible left overs such as bones and egg shells these can be composted at home. Your soil at home will love the calcium and potassium from the egg shells. Left over meat bones will provide your soil with carbohydrates and protein. 

If you're going on holiday and need more clothes, why not shop second hand? You can find plenty of clothes to love from someone who is passing them on. You can also find garden furniture whilst second hand shopping. Try looking in your local and surrounding area on Freegle.