Waste not, want not

So you’ve recycled all your glass bottles, reused your shopping bags and reduced plastic packaging by buying refills. Now, as Recycle Week arrives (19–25 September), it’s time to turn your attention to food waste. Redistribution of surplus food was up 16 per cent last year, as manufacturers and retailers create networks to channel it to charities. But 200,000 tonnes of perfectly good produce still goes in the bin each year*. You can do your bit by buying as you go, utilising your freezer for everything from milk and bread to fruit and houmous, and using your senses to assess whether an ingredient is edible in spite of the best-before date.