The Food We Waste in Scotland
WRAP Scotland has published the first detailed research report on the scale, nature and origin of household food and drink waste in Scotland.
The report was launched on 3 September 2009 at an event at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Documents
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The Food We Waste in Scotland - full report
(1419 kb)Findings of the first detailed study into the scale, nature and origins of household food waste in Scotland
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The Food We Waste in Scotland Executive Summary
(1968 kb)
Summary version of the first detailed study into household food waste in Scotland.
This WRAP Scotland report highlights for the first time the true scale and nature of household food waste in Scotland. Through detailed analysis of food and drinks disposed of by householders, the study reveals the full exetent of our wastefulness.
These findings should be a call to action for government, retailers, food manufacturers, environmental campaigners and all of us as consumers, to reduce the food we waste.
Key findings
- Scottish households throw out 570,000 tonnes of food and drink each year
- More than two-thirds of this could have been consumed
- This avoidable waste costs us £1 billion at 2008 prices - that's £430 a year for the average household
- Half of the avoidable food waste put out for council collection is untouched
- One-in-seven items is still in its packaging
- At least £18 million worth of food is thrown away 'in date'
- Collecting and disposing of food waste costs Scottish councils £85 million a year
- Stopping this waste of good food would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking one in every four cars off Scottish roads
