A new report from ALDI has highlighted the amount of food wasted by Irish households, finding that 47% of customers throw out food every week.
The survey was done as part of ALDI's Food for Good campaign in partnership with FoodCloud, which is now in it's fifth year.
Other findings from the survey show that 65% are uncomfortable with the amount of food waste, and that bread is the most common item to be thrown out, followed by fresh fruit and veg, meat and dairy. The average spending amount was €109 for a weekly shop.
According to the report, food being past its use-by date is the most common reason it is thrown out (48%), followed by people not getting around to using it (43%). Over one-third say they disposed of food because it was past the best before date, while nearly one-in-five said they simply bought too much.
The research also shows that more than half of people sometimes or always plan their meals. Almost half say that they are actively taking steps to reduce their food waste by cooking and preparing the food before it goes off to avoid wasting it.
Announcing this year’s campaign with FoodCloud, ALDI Group Managing Director Niall O’Connor said:
“We know that food waste is still a problem, and we are delighted to work with FoodCloud again this year to highlight this important issue and the essential service that FoodCloud provides. By making small changes to how we plan and prepare meals at home, we can all help reduce food waste, which, in turn, will have a bigger impact on the environment and wider society. We’re proud to continue our support of FoodCloud and its excellent work and are asking our customers to help in whatever way they can by donating non-perishable goods at their local ALDI store. Together, we can not only help reduce food waste, but support those in our communities most in need.”
