The short video below caught my eye. It worries me how much food is wasted, in the UK and elsewhere, of course. I try to ensure that at home, we waste as little food as possible. I also try to be mindful when I shop and in the way I cook.
I find it shocking that surplus food is destroyed by supermarkets, rather than being donated.
France was the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food. Instead, they must donate it to charities or food banks. A ‘no brainer’ in my opinion.
It is the western world that wastes the most food. Unsurprisingly, as they are perishable, fruit and vegetables are the most likely to be wasted. However, there is plenty of help out there if searching for ideas for avoiding food waste, including recipes: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Here’s the link to the video just in case there is any problem with playing the one above:
How do you deal with food waste? Do you have any useful tips to share? I’d love to know.
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9 thoughts on “Food waste: UK versus France”
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How true! Let’s start a petition to Government!!!
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Yes, this is a very important post. I’ll watch the video tomorrow. One thing which I miss, as in it doesn’t happen in Brighton, is having my food waste collected. In East Sussexyou separate all your food waste, put in bags and then in an allocated bin. It’s collected and made into compost. When people say is there anything you don’t like about your move thinking that I might say, the flat is rather small (it’s fine for us), or I miss my garden (I don’t) I say, ‘I think it utterly disgusting to put food into your rubbish. It feels really dirty’. Not knowing anything different most Brightonians are astonished that food can be collected. But if you do waste food and we all do to a certain extent it does feel better if you know the waste is going to be turned into compost.
We should push for this collection in Brighton and Hove
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Here, in Surrey, we do have a weekly food collection. This goes to make compost which is used in local public gardens etc. I’m really surprised that Brighton and Hove don’t do this. I’ve always thought it was ‘green’. Perhaps I’m stuck in the political past. All waste bothers me but plastic waste is particularly concerning. Thanks for commenting.
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Did you see the Anthony Bourdain movie “Wasted”? It’s shameful how much we waste. I lived in Africa for a few years and I can attest that folks there wasted nothing, not a morsel of food, not a drop of water, not a piece of clothing….
We made a big effort to not throw away food, and we are doing a lot better. An empty-the-fridge pizza or stir-fry once a week does wonders. Also, we started composting for all the peels, etc.
For rich, developed countries, waste is out of sight, out of mind. But we’re the ones making the biggest mess.
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No, I haven’t but I’ll try to find it on line. You’re right, it is shameful. I’m not surprised that there is no wastage in Africa; says it all, really. Where we have our UK home, there is a food collection every week which is then turned into compost for local parks etc. This means, in theory, we have almost zero food waste. However, there’s still all the other waste to worry about, plastic etc…
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I never really thought about this until recently, as I had seldom ever wasted food. Now that I live with someone who wastes a lot of food, I find it disturbing, wasteful, and well, grubby. (sigh) But that’s just me.
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I don’t think you’re alone in your feelings…
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We have a lot to learn from France!
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I agree in many ways but, like the UK, it’s not perfect!
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