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Are Brits keeping their cool this summer?
Fridge habits are dividing UK households
That’s why we went out to 3,000 Brits to find out their biggest icks, tricks and challenges when it comes to fridge, fridge freezer, and freezer food storage. We’ve compiled the data to see which areas of the UK are the biggest spenders on grocery shopping, as well as the biggest reasons people waste food and how much food ends up in the bin. Our team is on a mission to help Brits get more out of their grocery shop, through using clever food storage hacks and technology to help food stay fresher for longer. We’re busting the myths, debunking the data and sharing our expertise to help get to the bottom of the food waste problem in the UK.
Ranked: the worst food waste hotspots of the UK revealed
The average Brit spends £85.72 on their weekly shop – before throwing away 10% of their food each week. This equates to £28.56 of food a month in the bin, or £462.78 a year – which is more than the average cost of a monthly food shop.
For the average household of two adults, this equates to £171.44 a week on grocery shopping, or £771.48 a month. With 10% of this going to waste on average a week, couples waste £77.15 a month of food, which is £925.77 a year – the equivalent cost of a week-long holiday for two in an all-inclusive hotel in Spain.
So, saving on food waste is not only good for both the purse strings and planet – it can also help Brits to budget for an extra holiday each year.
Worst offending items: Bread, milk and veg are top of the list, and bottom of the bin
Our study found that whilst essential grocery shop items like bread, milk and cheese are at the top of our shopping lists, they’re ending up in the bottom of our bins every week. Fruit & veg, bread and milk were listed as the top three items Brits bin the most during the week, due to ‘missed’ sell-by dates or forgetting about the food they have left over.
Whilst everyone admitted they unfortunately throw away food on a weekly basis, men are more likely to bin food than women, and Gen Z are more likely to bin food than their older generations.
The essential food items Brits bin every week from their food shop are:
1. Fruit and veg
If Brits are struggling to get their five-a-day, the food waste may be the answer. Fruit and veggies are thrown out 53 times a year on average (over once a week). This works out as £5.24 a week from grocery shop per person, or £272.48 per year.
2. Breads
Bread is an essential part of the UK diet, but Brits are throwing out breads 51 times a year on average (once a week). This costs the average person £1.40 a week in food waste, or £72.80 per year.
3. Milk
Milk is a grocery-store staple, but this essential item is thrown out 47 times a year on average (every 10 days). This costs the average shopper £0.65 a week in food waste, or £33.80 per year.
4. Meat and Fish
Protein is part of a healthy diet, yet Brits are throwing out meat and fish 43 times a year on average (every 10-12 days). This costs the average shopper £4.80 a week, or £249.60 per year.
5. Yoghurt
Yoghurt gets thrown out 41 times a year on average (every 12-14 days). This is the equivalent of £0.83 a week for the average shopper, or £43.16 per year.
6. Potatoes
There’s nothing worse than going to the fridge to use your spuds and finding that they’ve already sprouted. Out of date potatoes get thrown out 38 times a year (every 14-18 days), costing the average person £0.89 a week, or £46.28 per year in wasted food.
7. Stock
Whilst stock is a relatively small spend in the grocery shop budget, it all adds up over the year. Stock is thrown out 37 times a year (every 2-3 weeks) on average, costing the average shopper £0.25 a week, or £13 per year.
8. Cheese
Turns out Brits are binning the brie, as cheese is thrown out 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks), costing the average Brit £2.08 a week from their grocery spend, or £108.42 per year.
9. Eggs
It’s no yolk; the average Brit throws out eggs roughly 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks). Whilst this might not seem like a lot, this is costing the average shopper £1.24 a week from their weekly shopping budget, or £64.48 a year.
10. Herbs
Brits are running out of thyme when it comes to using up the herbs they buy, as common cooking herbs are thrown out 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks). This costs the average person £1.25 a week, or £65 per year.
Food goes out of date before I get a chance to use it – what's the solution?
Our study found the most common reason Brits have for throwing away food is that it goes out of date before they get the chance to use it. With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s easy to miss sell-by dates, but our data shows that this easy mistake is costing Brits hundreds of pounds a year.
Some simple food prep tips can help make this easier, such as:
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