Don't Waste Food This Christmas

---

Wimbledon shoppers enjoy 'leftover' soup

A food roadshow at Wimbledon town centre attracted more than 500 shoppers to a winter warming soup as the temperatures dropped.

Merton council made the soup from more than 100kg of vegetables which had been donated by Tesco in New Malden.

Shoppers at the roadshow were offered soup and also received tips and advice on how to reduce waste over the festive period.

The council says food waste costs the average household £480 a year, rising to £680 for a family with children – this works out to be around £50 a month. Most of this waste is due to the cooking too much food or not using it in time.

Merton Council's cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration, Councillor Andrew Judge, said: "This is a great time for us all to think about how much food we waste during Christmas. With the average household spending £480 on unwanted food, it’s time we think about preparing enough food rather than too much. By doing so, we can save money and reduce our impact on the environment.

"The soup which has been served up to shoppers at our roadshow is an example of how we can use food without throwing it away. Reusing leftovers or unwanted vegetables is an easy way of reducing the food we waste."

For more information and tips on how to reduce waste and save money, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.

December 7, 2012