Food waste is a growing problem — one-third of food produced globally goes to waste. In the UK, 9.52 million tonnes of food is thrown away annually, which is responsible for 25 million tonnes of CO2e emissions – more than Kenya’s total annual emissions. The environmental impact of food waste is significant. The circular economy is a new way of looking at our economy. It’s about getting materials back into the system as quickly as possible so they can be used again, and keeping them out of the waste stream where they don’t belong.
Food sharing is a great way to reduce food waste and help others in need. There are lots of ways to share food that are easy, fun and ethical. You can share food with friends, find a local group for sharing food or join a national food sharing network, like FoodShare.org. You can also can set up a food box from your local farmer and share it with your neighbours. togoodtogo is a service that connects people who have food waste to people who have space in their fridge or freezer. Food sharing has a number of impacts on our sustainability goals. For example, it reduces food waste, meaning more resources are put towards growing food for people, rather than towards disposing of it. It also reduces our need for food imports, which helps to reduce our carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.