The Scottish Government has revealed that food waste has fallen by 8% since 2009 and saved families £92 million in unnecessary purchases.
Speaking at the Scottish Resources Conference in Glasgow, Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead (pictured) also revealed plans for a formal food waste reduction target for Scotland.
He said: “Household food waste in Scotland has decreased by an estimated 37,000 tonnes per year – 5.7% overall – since 2009, with a reduction of 7.7% overall , or 30,000 tonnes per year, in avoidable food waste. This reduction has saved households across Scotland a staggering £92 million a year.
“That’s a great start but I want to see more done. Globally, we throw away two billion tonnes of food every year – which is shocking when 840 million people across the world are going hungry. I want Scotland to lead by example.
“I intend to introduce a food waste target that I believe will be the first such target in Europe. It will place Scotland at the forefront of tackling global food waste, together with the United States which recently announced a target to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.
“Working together is imperative to the success of this, and we must continue to do so. I will fully consult with all stakeholders to set the right target to support both Scotland’s food and drink, and our zero waste, ambitions.”
He added that the formal food waste target will be introduced as part of his circular economy strategy, which is due to be published later this year.
