Recycle Devon is highlighting how reducing the amount of food thrown away at home can help households save money and cut bin waste.

A 2022 study in Devon found that nearly a third of black bin waste is food waste, 79% of which is avoidable. It also found that 35% of all discarded food is still in its packaging.

A Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) Food Trends survey undertaken in 2023 found that despite the Cost of Living crisis, people are still wasting food that could otherwise have been eaten.

Food prices remain the number one food concern for almost three quarters of participants, and nearly one in four (24%) reported struggling to keep up with household bills, yet food waste is still on the rise for four key products – milk, potatoes, chicken and bread.

A few simple measures can help reduce food waste and save money too.

Keeping the fridge temperature between 0-5°C can help keep food fresh for three days longer than usual. If you want to test how cold your fridge actually is, an easy way is to use a thermometer. If you don’t have a fridge thermometer, pop a regular thermometer into a glass of water and leave it in the fridge for a few hours. Try not to open the door as this can affect the reading. It’s worth checking as the average UK fridge temperature is set at least 2°C too warm!

Understanding the difference between use by and sell by dates can save perfectly edible food from being thrown away.

‘Best before’ refers to the quality of the food and your food will be at its best when used before the date given. After this peak freshness date, it might not be at its best, but it will still be safe to eat. You can use your senses to make a judgement.

Here’s a quick guide to a few key food items and how long they are likely to remain edible after the best before date.

Biscuits – six months

Canned food – 12 months

Cereals – six months

Confectionary – 12 months

Crisps – one month

Dried pasta – three years!

Pasta sauce – 12 months

‘Use by’ refers to the safety of the food. You must not eat food past the ‘use by’ date. You cannot always smell the bacteria that causes food to spoil, so after the ‘use by’ date, the food may appear perfectly fine to eat, but it could be unsafe. You can freeze food right up to and including the ‘use by’ date. If you’re not sure you will eat it in time, freeze it for another day!

‘Display until / sell by’ is for retailers’ attention only.

Councillor Geoff Jung, Chair of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee, said:

“Reducing the amount of food we waste is a simple way for households to save money and reduce carbon emissions – 60% of UK food waste comes from households, having a value of £17 billion a year and is associated with 18 million tonnes of Greenhouse Gas emissions. In Devon, if we kept food waste out of the black bin it would save £2.8m a year in disposal costs. Using up leftovers, making the most of our freezers and understanding use by dates are just a few ways to help prevent food waste, and save money too. When food waste is unavoidable, it can still be put to good use by being recycled in the food waste collection service, where available, or composted at home.”