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Food and Waste

Each of our action categories are important in their own way.

Why's this important for emissions reduction?

The simplest way to reduce energy demand from producing, transporting and disposing of goods is to reduce the amount of 'stuff' we buy - and be aware of where we are buying it from.

The more food, clothes and other goods that we waste the more precious natural resources we use and the more emissions we produce. A quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from food and global emissions from textile production outweigh that of international flights and shipping combined.

However, what we choose to consume is also important. The choice of things that we eat can have a bigger impact than how far the food has travelled, or how much packaging it’s wrapped in.

Of course, the overall impact of consumption goes beyond the energy it takes to make it. Emissions from our 'waste' (and the treatment of waste-water) is responsible for around 5% of UK total gas emissions. The average UK person sends a staggering 330 kg (the weight of a male Giant Panda) of waste to landfill or incineration per year!

Consuming less, reusing, recycling and recovering materials and energy is the future!

What are the other impacts?

As well as carbon, there are many other implications of producing the food and goods that we consume. Workers' rights, animal welfare and ecological standards are important considerations, whether for home made or imported goods/food. Imported items may have different regulations than items produced in the UK, and it is important to consider these impacts even when buying locally. Conversely, sharing resources, knowing our producers and suppliers, buying locally and eating good food can all have huge benefits for community resilience, local economies and our own health and wellbeing. Thinking about our choices and behaviours as consumers is more important than ever.

What's happening locally?

We are lucky in Herefordshire to be living close to where our food is produced and opportunities to source locally grown food are increasing - check out local box schemes, farmers markets and independent shops for seasonal food with low food miles
There are repair cafes in Malvern Hills, Ledbury and Kington. Facebook Marketplace signposts to local groups that are well placed to help to sell or buy goods second hand
Herefordshire Council’s website has details of markets across the county
There is an active group of people reducing waste in the county: the Herefordshire Community Recycling And Reuse Group have loads of initiatives, and are growing all of the time
The Herefordshire Green Network is very active in the county and always happy to help make links with others who can help communities to act together to grow food or set up their own sharing resources or repair cafes
There are several community gardens in the county, helping to connect people to the source of their food, and projects like Growing Local working to change our food culture with education around food growing and food preparation. Kids Kitchen are inspiring adults and young children to enjoy cooking great food together
In 2019 Herefordshire Food Alliance, a network of local organisations concerned about household food insecurity, examined the extent of food poverty across the county and mapped the areas most at risk. Public Health are continuing to coordinate a Food Alliance, looking at the impact of the food system on health and well-being locally. In the meantime the county has a network of independent food banks, supported by the Diocese, which support people at risk of going hungry. In 2019 Hereford Food bank supported over 2500 individuals with emergency food parcels - check them out for information and volunteering opportunities.

Reduce Reduce Reduce

FREE

I will make at least 1 less major purchase this year

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Reduce Reduce Reduce

Making the decision not to buy something, especially something large, like a new kitchen or major home refurbishment, can have a huge impact. Watch The Story of Solutions to find out more about this.
Ethical Consumer magazine is a fantastic source of information about the emissions and other impacts of our purchases.

Do you really need it..?

FREE

I will read about the impact of buying things and will wait 24 hours before buying anything new

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Do you really need it..?

The top of our 5 categories for reducing our emissions from waste, is “Refuse” (can we manage without this?), which comes ahead of Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Rot
Making positive decisions to buy less of those smaller items that are so tempting when browsing in shops, or online, on a regular basis can have a bigger impact over a year than we might realise
The same goes for business purchases: set up a purchase reduction group at work and challenge each other to explain why that thing is really needed
Watch ‘The Story of Solutions’ and understand how we can make new choices

Choose second hand for best value

FREE

I will only buy second hand items or those made from recycled materials for the next year

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Choose second hand for best value

Whether you are looking for new furniture, homeware or clothes go to your local charity shop, garage/car boot sales, reclamation centres and antique centres (or using online alternatives such as Oxfam Online)
You may also be lucky enough to have a pre-loved clothing boutique nearby
Look online for second hand suppliers when you need to buy new office equipment too
While the individual emissions from a single second-hand transaction might be modest, when added up, avoiding brand new items makes a major positive contribution to our emissions
There is a growing offering of things made from recycled materials so look for that option and learn about the Circular Economy which aims to change our wasteful production in radical and exciting ways

Save water

FREE

I will reduce my water consumption by 20% this year

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Save water

Water is intrinsically linked to energy and most of us underestimate the energy (and associated emissions) that water companies need to treat and pump water into homes and buildings: for example, Scottish Water is the largest user of electricity in Scotland!
Contact your water supplier to get a water meter fitted at home or work/community place and track your usage
Take short showers instead of baths, use cold water rather than hot where you can, make sure washing machines and dishwashers are full before using them and turn off taps when you are not actually using them eg. brushing your teeth
Friends of the Earth have published loads of water saving tips to reduce emissions

Meat Free Mondays

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I will have meat, poultry, fish or dairy free Mondays for the coming year.

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Meat Free Mondays

The UK Climate Change Committee suggests that we have two or more days a week without meat, poultry or fish.
Carbon emissions in food come from transport, packaging as well as processes in the production of the food and on the farm, and it can be a complex issue to negotiate. The Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air book has lots of tips and contains the emissions for different food categories of food consumed in the UK (also available as a free ebook here).
Carbon Brief has helpful information and includes a graph of emissions from different food types.
You could also try supporting local shops and cafes which offer less meat or no meat meals such as Earthing Zero Waste in Hereford.

Buy less /share more!

FREE

I will offer rarely used equipment or tools to my friends and neighbours (or businesses)

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Buy less /share more!

Make an inventory of what you already own, and share the list with your friends or neighbours.
Businesses - talk to other business premises nearby about sharing maintenance or other infrequently used equipment.
Setting up a community group to share rarely used items - like Oxford’s Library of Things which helps local people to share a range of items that are only occasionally needed, ladders, saws (and of course, disco balls) brings added benefits of getting to know the people who live or work in your local area.
Or get tips from the Streetbank website.
The emissions from making, using and disposing of everything that we buy has a big impact. This is especially relevant for items we then only use infrequently - like hedge cutters or power drills. So, make sure that your purchase is really needed or see if you can borrow/share it instead.

Ditch the fast fashion

FREE

I will take the 30-wear pledge and reduce my purchases of new clothes by at least a half this year (or make sure that business uniforms are returned when employees leave).

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Ditch the fast fashion

Commit to the 30-wear pledge, and before you buy something, ask yourself: ‘Will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?’”
The average person owns 115 items of clothing, and nearly a third of these clothes haven’t been worn within the past year.
It is easy to forget that when we buy polyester clothes, we’re wearing oil based fossil fuels which leads to more emissions.
Making one polyester shirt generates emissions of 5.5kg, compared to just 2.1kg for a cotton shirt - although a brand new cotton shirt can also have a huge impact in terms of water and pesticide use.
The solution is to buy second hand, buy from sustainable sources and buy less! See here for some online tips.
If your business provides uniforms for staff, ask that they return it when they leave and be proud to pass on second hand uniforms to new staff.

Reduce your food waste

FREE

I will organise my meals and fridge so that I throw away at least 50% less unused food each week

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Reduce your food waste

Store your food properly so it doesn't go bad. Look at Love Food Hate Waste for their easy food storage guide
Use your freezer to freeze uneaten fruits and veggies
Use your fridge on the right setting to preserve food for longer
Check here to find the right settings for your fridge

Get creative with leftovers

FREE

I will only buy food that I know that I will use.

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Get creative with leftovers

Buy less than you think that you need, and get creative with leftovers
Avoid those ‘buy one get one free’ offers unless you really need it or can store it - or want to give it to the Food Bank
Be imaginative with what you’ve got. Use fruits that are over-ripe in smoothies or sauces and make stale bread ends into toast, toppings or stuffing
Look at Love Food Hate Waste for more ideas

Eat seasonal fruit & veg

FREE

I will stop buying air freighted ‘short shelf-life’ foods at home or for my workplace/community space

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Eat seasonal fruit & veg

Avoid air freighted foods that have a very short shelf-life that have travelled a long way (eg. green beans and berries) as these are likely to have been transported by air which has a big impact on their emissions
Other imported food transported by sea may have a smaller impact than you realise, as described in the ‘How Bad are Bananas’ book. But chocolate and coffee do generate significant emissions, so keep these for treats!
The Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air contains the emissions for different food categories of food consumed in the UK (also available as a free ebook here)
Check out www.ourworldindata.org for more of this sort of information and get informed about the complex issue of the carbon impact of local food here
Walking or cycling to your local market to buy local seasonal fruit and veg grown outdoors in the UK has the lowest of all carbon footprints. A local veg box scheme is a good second best
These tips apply to workplace canteens or food prepared at your community space - so spread the word and be an advocate for change!

Make things last

FREE

I will use my local repair cafe or repair shops at least 3 times this year.

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Make things last

Choose good quality products that will last, use them for longer and try to repair before you replace
Find and use your local repair shops - our towns have tailors and cobblers, electrical repairers, computer repairers, white goods repairers, woodworkers, blacksmiths and more
Ask someone in your business to find out where things can be repaired and be the ‘go to’ repair person.
Support your local Repair Cafe - or consider setting up your own. Repair Cafes are a great way to build local community skill sharing across all age groups.

Keep electronic stuff for longer

FREE

I will keep my phone and laptop for at least a year longer than I would have done previously

Oh no! Can you tell us why?

Keep electronic stuff for longer

The emissions from our devices, data centres and communications networks is set to grow.
Manufacturing of smartphones is the biggest contributor to these emissions, so commit to keep your smartphone for as long as you can. Switching to a SIM only deal will save money too and buy a refurbished phone next time.
iFixit is an incredible resource with simple fixes for electronic devices
Apply the same action to your home and business laptops/monitors/printers etc.