Household Food Waste in the UK - Essay Example

Case study: Household food waste in the UK Introduction This paper is a case study of household food waste in the United Kingdom, that was carried out in the month of May 2008. This was done by WRAP and a report done to ascertain the findings of the study. In the month of May 2008, a WRAP (Waste and Resource Action Programme) comprehensive report was released, entitled “the food we waste”. It shoes the level of the problem of food waste that arise from UK households. 3.1. Methods used The report bases on elements of methodology from diverse reports that were used together a) Qualitative, guided interviews (WRAP, 2006) The research targeted behavior of food management in-shop behavior, food preparations, storage management, leftovers, packaging considerations, and route of disposal for food waste. 90 minute focus group discussions (ten) carried out and the very groups divided in accordance to backgrounds of social demography, for instance, income and age. Additionally, the researchers gave out a self-completion of management of food diary to all the participants a week prior for them to record behavior that is waste related. c) Composition analysis (WRAP, 2008) It aimed at giving a statistical representation of samples across Wales and England to come up with a determination of cost and mass of food waste. From July 2007, 2,715 households that were in a questionnaire that asked for background data that is socio-demographical, home composting, waste collection habits, recycling experiences and some perceptions towards UK waste food. After four weeks, waste from the municipality from 2138 households was put together, sorted, weighted and put into 13 groups of food (check Appendix B) and the categories of food stage (see Figure 2) Annual food waste mass for all homes in the UK was calculated through average mass by the type of household. That is, households shared, of singles, related adults and that one that is related with children. The researchers allocated cost with mass in grammes according to a set mean price for all identified food items. The analysis was focused on cost and mass of waste that is avoidable. Even though the selection of participants was done on a random basis, some factors are not are presentation of the UK statistically. They include Zero samples from Northern Ireland and Scotland Under representation of lesser households and some statuses of employment (self-employed, part-time, unemployed, students and long-term sick) Flats are excluded Asian households are represented overly with regard to ethnic origin 3.2. Results a) Mass and cost 6.7 million tonnes, which are equivalent to 14.5 billion Pounds or (18.8 billion Euros2) of food are always disposed in the UK every year. This stands as a 20% representation of all domestic waste that is generated in the UK. For the reason of WRAP’s report, it was divided into three major categories: - ‘Avoidable’: Products no longer wanted or those that have been allowed to be in use past their date. For example, whole fruits, food left-overs, and half a cheese pack. Food waste that is possibly avoidable: they include edibles that people choose not to consume or products that are consumable if prepared in a different way like bread crusts and skins of potatoes. Unavoidable food waste is another category that involves food waste which arises from preparation of stuff that cannot be consumed like teabags, bones, fruit cores. The average household in the UK disposes 170 to 270kgs, which is worth approximately 590 sterling pounds of total of food waste that can be avoided per year (compare figure 3). Products that are discarded but still within their dates at the day of sorting analysis, add up to at least 8.3% of food waste that is avoidable under which drinks, condiments and confectionaries have the greatest portions. The top three items on the list of food that is wasted in % of mass are: 1) Potatoes account to (9.7%) 2) Bread slices were an approximate (8.8%) 3) Apples were amounting to around (5.1%) It was divided into diversified categories of food and state of preparation during the analysis of composition (compare Figure 2 and Figure 3). The main difference between avoidable and total food waste in the vegetable category is caused by inedible parts and peelings (see Figure 4). Despite, potatoes turn out to be the food items that mostly appear in the vegetable category, which is ranked second in food waste that is avoidable after bakery. most Figure 2: Proportion of avoidable and total food waste mass by categories of food (WRAP, 2008) WRAP (2008) established that 46.5% of all avoidable UK food waste consists of fresh state products like fruit, salad, and vegetables. Figure 3: Percentage of total and avoidable food waste mass by the state of preparation (WRAP, 2008) According to the stage of preparation, leftovers are the most imperative control of total food waste coming up. For food waste that is avoidable, unprepared products like raw potatoes comprise the biggest force. b) Reasons for wasting food The amount of food waste was significantly related to household size (88%),age (85%) and household composition (67%). The amount of food that is disposed was derived from the diary of a kitchen in UK where participants kept records for each item of food that goes to waste according to a pre-given list. The brackets below show items that are mentioned most for every given reason (see Figure 4). Figure 4: Percentage of avoidable food waste thrown away with a reason (WRAP, 2008) In conclusion, the case study has shown that household food waste that can be avoided has reduced by a great margin from the year 2007, saving the consumers of the UK an approximate 13 billion pounds over a five year period till 2012. However, despite this imperative drive to ensure that there is a reduction in food waste, the United Kingdom households are still disposing millions of tones of household drink and food annually, the equivalent of around six meals on weekly basis for a household that is on the average level in the UK. Read More