The average family could save up to £720 per year by throwing away less edible food. 

When food prices are increasing, we know that everyone is keen to save money on groceries where they can.

The edible food we throw away also contributes to climate change. We are wasting not only the food, but the valuable resources that have gone into creating it too.

Here are some handy tips on how to reduce your food waste:

Get your portions right

It’s very easy to cook too much pasta and rice:

  • a quarter of a mug of uncooked rice is enough for one person
  • two large handfuls of uncooked pasta per person is enough when thinking about how much to cook

How to store food

Food lasts longer if stored in the right places:

  • bread is best stored in its original packaging in a cupboard or in a bread bin, not the fridge
  • you can keep potatoes in a breathable bag or sack (not plastic packaging) and store them in a cool, dark place  

Get the best use out of your fridge or freezer

You can:

  • set your fridge down to 5 degrees to keep food fresher for longer
  • freeze what you won’t eat. This is like pressing the pause button. You can freeze all kinds of food, right up to the use by date, including milk

Using up your leftovers

You can store leftovers in the fridge or freezer and then use them up in all sorts of creative ways:

  • next day packed lunches
  • sandwich or jacket potato fillings
  • ingredients for stews, quiches, omelettes and salads

the list is as big as your imagination. If you cannot eat everything that you order at a restaurant, ask the staff to put it in a container for you to take home. 

Tips and recipe cards

Check out some of our tips cards and leftovers recipe cards for more ideas:

If you require any of these cards in an accessible format, please contact the Dorset Waste service. 
Love Food Hate Waste has lots more information including money saving top tips and recipe cards.

The Supercook website gives ideas on how to use up leftovers.

Find out more about our food waste collection service.