Food waste
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Every day we throw tonnes of food away.
Why is that and what can we do to stop it? Let's find out...
BREAD Stop! Don’t leave me here, please! I’ll go stale!
THE GREAT SPOON Argh humans! They bought too much bread again. They shouldn’t buy so much then it wouldn’t go to waste.
BREAD I wish they’d just wrap me up! I need to be in a cool dark place! It’s way too bright in here! I’ll dry out if they’re not careful...
THE GREAT SPOON Precisely! If they stored you properly you will last longer. They should just freeze you!
BREAD What?!
THE GREAT SPOON You’ll stay fresh for months that way! Think of it as a holiday!
BREAD I suppose that’s not a bad idea, oh Great Spoon. Once defrosted, I’ll be as good as new! Bbbbbrrrrrrrrr! Oooh, I sure... am.... chill- Oooh
THE GREAT SPOON Lots of foods can be frozen to keep them fresh: bread, meat, milk, even some fruit and vegetables
CHERRY TOMATO But not us. If you froze us we’d go all mushy. But they shouldn’t just leave us lying out in the sun for ages either. If we were nice and cool in the fridge we’d last longer. Some of us are already past our best, like me. Aaah!
THE GREAT SPOON Food scraps that aren’t safe for people to eat can still feed other things. You can put fruit, vegetables, bread, coffee grounds, egg shells, all sorts of stuff in a compost bin. If you mix it with dead leaves and grass from the garden, it will all break down and release nutrients that can help plants grow. Tomato, you would make great compost!
You too, Banana skin!
CHERRY TOMATO New home! I can’t wait. We’ll have a glorious new life, we’ll help new plants grow - it’s gonna be so beautiful MUFFLED and I'm gonna have so much fun
PLANT Cheers for the nutrients pals!
Why do we waste food
Food ends up in the bin because:
- We buy more than we need.
- We cook and fill our plates with more than we are going to eat.
- We forget to use food up before it goes out of date.
- We do not store food correctly so it goes bad more quickly than it should.
Storing food
Storing food correctly can keep it fresher for longer. Here are some examples:
- Bread needs to be stored in a cool, dark place.
- Lettuce is best kept in the salad drawer of the fridge.
- Cheese should be wrapped and chilled in the fridge.
Click through the slideshow below to find out what you should store in each place.

Fridge
You should store milk, butter, yoghurt, meat, fish, and vegetables in the fridge to keep them cool and fresh.

Freezer
The freezer can store frozen vegetables, leftover food and meat.

Cupboard
You can store pasta, tins of soup and beans, cereal, bread, and jars in the cupboard. Once opened, tins and jars should be covered and kept in the fridge. Bread should be wrapped to stop it going stale.
Get composting!
Sometimes even if we try not to waste, we are still left with food scraps. Before we bin them and send them to landfill, we should stop and think…compost!
What is composting?
- Composting is a natural process that breaks down rotting food and plants and turns it into soil.
- Compost bins can be as simple as a plastic bin with air holes in it.
- Fill your compost bin with scraps of fruit, vegetables, cut grass and other garden waste. You can even compost teabags and scrunched up paper.
- Food waste and scraps from animal products like meat cannot be put in most compost bins.
- Over time the waste will break down and become nutrient-rich soil.
- This soil is perfect for helping new plants grow. You could use your compost to grow your own vegetables.