Food Waste Action Week 2021 1 March 2021
Minister Lyons calls for crackdown on food waste
Via DAERA
Environment Minister Gordon Lyons has called for a crackdown on food waste as it’s estimated that in Northern Ireland it accounts for up to 25% of the content of our non–recycling bins.
Lending his support to the UK’s first Food Waste Action Week (1–7 March) organised by environmental charity WRAP, he urged everyone to stop edible food ending up in our bins and causing harm to the environment.
“When we waste food, we are also wasting a huge amount of energy and associated carbon emissions from growing, transporting, refrigerating and packing the food. Sending this waste to landfill causes even more harmful emissions,” Minister Lyons said.
“In Northern Ireland we have successfully diverted over 1,000,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste from landfill since 2015, but we know good food is still ending up in our bins causing harm to our environment and wasting precious resources,” he added.
The latest statistics reveal that UK households waste on average £700 per year by throwing food away.
“The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness of the issue but also prompt action by providing practical guidance for people to avoid food waste and contribute to a better world for ourselves and future generations. We are all guilty of wasting more than we think, but we must all play our part in making changes and protecting our environment and tackling climate change,” Minister Lyons added.
