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It’s hard to keep track of the myriad of crises in the world today…
But there are two huge problems that are of particular concern to us at SunSkips: the nation’s overflowing landfill sites and the skyrocketing cost of living.
As a business, SunSkips does everything possible to adopt innovative methods for reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill, as well as offering great value skip hire in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
But what can the individual do to protect the environment and bring down the monthly bills?
Fortunately, there is a smart new way to keep perfectly good food from going to waste and save a ton of money on your weekly shop – in some cases getting stuff completely free…
Massive environmental benefits
As there’s no recycling centre in Cambridgeshire or Suffolk that accepts food waste – and skip hire firms like SunSkips don’t take it either – it’s down to individuals to do their bit to curtail food waste.
Food sent to landfill decomposes and generates methane gas, which is 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. Ending food waste would have the same positive impact on the environment as removing 25% of cars from UK roads, according to Recycle Now.
MORE: Composting for beginners: how to get started and what you’ll need
And with the help of an app or two, we can prevent perfectly edible food from going in the bin, all while saving money and helping those who might be struggling!
Food-sharing apps
In Suffolk alone, a whopping 52,000 tonnes of food is thrown away every year. Meanwhile, many are struggling to make ends meet and simply can’t get enough food in the cupboard.
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So what if those with excess food could connect with neighbours looking to stock up and make sure nothing goes to waste…
Food-sharing apps like Too Good To Go and Karma (available on the Apple Store or Google Play) do exactly that. The service offers users low-cost “magic bags” of food collected from shops and restaurants, essentially solving the problem of food waste and high grocery bills in one hit.
The food available on these apps might be past its sell-by date, but that doesn’t mean it’s not safe to eat:
- Sell-by and display-until dates: These labels are for the retailer, not the consumer, and aren’t a reliable indicator of how safe the food is to eat.
- Best-before date: Indicates the last date food will be at its highest quality. As long as it looks, smells and tastes OK, it’s safe to eat after this date has passed (it just might not be quite as fresh). When eggs have passed their best-before date, consume within 24-48 hours and cook thoroughly.
- Use-by date: Indicates the last date food is safe to eat. Usually found on foods with a high risk of food poisoning if eaten after it’s gone bad like meat, fish and dairy.
Understanding the difference between these common labels will go a long way to keeping your personal food waste levels down.
MORE: Food waste recycling: The complete UK guide
Stop food waste
Another app that helps you save money and prevent food waste without having to go and pick anything up is No Waste.
This simple app helps you track your own food so you can quickly see what needs eating without having to wade through everything in the kitchen.
No more furry fruit stuck at the back of the fridge and it’s super easy to decide what you’re going to cook every evening!
Similar solutions include Nosh – developed by the University of Essex – and Kitche, which also suggests recipes for the food you have leftover.
Free food
If it’s completely free food you’re after, then OLIO is for you!
Another app that’s paving the way to eliminating food waste, OLIO connects local people with excess food being given away for free.
One NHS worker reported eating for free for as long as six months during the pandemic and was even able to start saving for a deposit on a house.
If you do use the app to stock your cupboards, do try to pay it forward and upload food that you can’t consume yourself to help out others.
- Going away for a few weeks but still have a full fridge?
- Enjoy growing your own vegetables but can’t eat all the produce yourself?
- Run a local bakery/cafe/restaurant that regularly bakes bread that won’t keep?
That’s a lot of food going to waste… All you need to do is upload what you’ve got to offer, plus a safe place to meet for collection, and you’ve done your bit to keep good food out of landfill while doing a neighbour a favour.
Doesn’t that feel good?
Did you know SunSkips managing director Mat Stewart is also the co-founder of Organic Waste Logistics (OWL), a revolutionary business that collects food waste and recycles it to be used in energy production and fertiliser?
