Goody bags on offer

Would you like a free goody bag to help you save money and waste less food?

To celebrate the European Week of Waste Reduction this week, and positive results from the national Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) campaign, Hertsmere Borough Council will be giving away a reusable bag packed with goodies including bag clips to keep food fresh for longer, a recycled note pad and handy recipe ideas.

The LFHW campaign has helped lead to a saving nationwide of nearly £300 million.  The campaign, which helps homes cut back on the food they throw away, has reported that two million more households in the UK are making savings of £164 each by eating more of the food they would previously have thrown away.

By simply planning meals, storing food to keep it fresher for longer, and using up leftovers in new recipes, these households have together made an overall saving of £296 million a year, stopping 137,000 tonnes of food being thrown into landfill.  Not only is this a saving in financial terms, it also benefits the environment, preventing 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases being emitted, which is the same carbon impact as taking 100,000 return flights to Australia out of the skies.

The campaign was set up by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) in November 2007 after research found that 6.7 million tonnes of food is thrown away from UK homes each year - a third of the food we buy.  The cost to consumers of wasted food is £10 billion a year, and LFHW's role is to provide practical advice to help us all reduce this waste.

Gemma Godfrey, Hertsmere Borough Council's Recycling Officer, said: "Whether it's buying too much food or cooking too much food we're all guilty of wasting it, but by making small changes to our habits we can all reduce the amount we throw away and save money at the same time.

"The results of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign so far are encouraging, but there is much more we can all do.  My top tips for wasting less food and saving money include buying and cooking the right amount of food, using any leftovers for lunch the next day and using your freezer to give food a longer life."

Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP, said she was encouraged by the impact the LFHW campaign has been making: "At a time when every penny counts, saving nearly £300 million is a great achievement for hard pressed consumers.  Food which ends up in landfill produces damaging greenhouse gases and is a terrible waste of resources.  We're delighted that the Love Food Hate Waste campaign is helping individual households enjoy more of their food, help the environment and save money."

The goody bags will be left in reception at the Civic Offices in Borehamwood, Bushey Area Office at The Bushey Centre, High Street and Potters Bar Area Office at The Wyllyotts Centre, Darkes Lane.  There will be 20 bags at each office so get there quick to make sure you don't miss out!

• Practical advice on how to reduce food waste