Britain launches 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign

) In one of its kinds and perhaps first in the world, Britain's national campaign-- 'Love Food Hate Waste ' has urged its citizens to cut down their food wastage in order to reduce environmental and financial costs. The campaign funded by the British government, has been launched to raise consumer awareness of waste, and to show how it can be cut, the Guardian reported.

The food industry, including manufacturers and restaurants, is also being urged to play a part in making the campaign a success. ''Food production and consumption has a serious impact on the environment. There is a lot that individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint, including reducing their food waste,'' the minister with responsibility for recycling and waste, Joan Ruddock said.

A research published in the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) funded by the British government, has shown that people in Britain throw away 6.7m tonnes of food a year of which about half is edible, with the rest made up of items such as peelings and meat bones.

Food which is simply thrown away in bags produces methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, the research claimed.

It also revealed some startling facts stating that food accounted for 19 per cent of domestic waste and cooked food was more likely to be thrown away than raw ingredients. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the most common uncooked food to be discarded, followed by bread and cakes, the research added.

''It is sad that so much food is being wasted needlessly. At a cost of 8bn a year, it's a serious issue that not only impacts on the environment but on our pockets too. Our research showed that 90% of consumers are completely unaware of the amount of food they throw away. Once attention is drawn to it, however, people are surprised and keen to take action.'' chief executive of Wrap Liz Goodwin said.

In Britain food wastage has been increasing by 3 per cent a year in recent years and will be doubled by 2020 unless action is taken.

-- (UNI) -- 02DF14.xml

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