In the UK, around 6.4 million tonnes of edible food is wasted each year – that is the equivalent of 15 billion meals, or enough to feed the entire UK population 3 meals a day for 11 weeks. But while food waste is a year-round issue, there’s something so frustrating about the way it spikes around Christmas.
First of all, there is the oversupply issue. Supermarkets want to give an impression of abundance – so they overstock, leading to mountains of unsold food come Boxing Day. What happens to all this food? A lot of it is simply thrown out. Or (if you are one of our fantastic supermarket partners) sent to food redistribution charities like The Felix Project.
From April next year, businesses in England will be forbidden from disposing of waste food via general waste streams, which we hope will have the added benefit of driving up surplus donation – but this is only one piece of the puzzle.
The most sobering statistic in all this is that 60 per cent of food waste happens at home. It’s not just the supermarkets or the restaurants: it’s the leftovers we forget to freeze, the fruitcakes no one touches, and the veg wilting in the crisper.
Christmas exacerbates these bad habits; we don’t just cook too much – we often forget about the food we’ve stashed away.
And yet, while our bins and supermarket shelves overflow, the stark reality is that millions of people in the UK are going hungry. At The Felix Project, we see it every day. Food banks are stretched thin. Community kitchens are struggling to meet demand. Families are having to choose between heating and eating, all while perfectly good food goes to waste.
So, what can we do about it?
For starters, we can all be a bit smarter about how we shop and plan – whether that’s at Christmas or year-round. Write a shopping list and stick to it. Think realistically about how much food you actually need – not how much Instagram or your in-laws might expect. And when it comes to leftovers, get creative. Bubble and squeak, turkey curry, or simply freezing what you can – these small actions can make a big difference.
Another problem is unnecessary date labelling. Many foods are perfectly fine to eat long after the date on the label, especially if this is a “best before” rather than a “use by.” If you’re interested in learning more, we’ve worked with colleagues at WRAP to develop guidance on how far different products’ dates can safely be extended.
At The Felix Project, we’re tackling food waste head-on by collecting surplus food from supermarkets, wholesalers and restaurants and redistributing it to 1,200 charities and schools across London. This year, we rescued enough food for more than 37 million meals – 100,000 meals a day.
But the fact that there’s so much food available for us to rescue shows just how much waste there is in the system.
This isn’t just an environmental issue – although, let’s be clear, the environmental cost of food waste is staggering. It’s also a moral issue. We can’t keep throwing away good food while people go hungry. The scale of food waste in the UK is a scandal; Christmas just shines a brighter light on it.
So, as we recover from the festive season, I challenge you to think differently about food waste. Before you toss that uneaten pudding or the last bit of stuffing, ask yourself: could this be reused, frozen, or shared? And the next time you’re tempted to over-fill your trolley; pause and consider whether it’s really a good deal or if it’s destined for the bin.
Together, we can tackle food waste – not just at Christmas, but all year round. You can also make a huge difference by volunteering for organisations like The Felix Project. Whether you have a couple of hours here and there or want to support us every week, we would love you to join us.
Because if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that no one should go hungry while good food goes to waste. Let’s make that our New Year’s resolution.
Charlotte Hill is the CEO of The Felix Project, a food redistribution charity based in London
