Find out what measures you can take to help reduce food related carbon emissions
Food emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions come from all aspects of our lives, even from the food we eat. Being conscious of the food you buy can ultimately have an impact on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. The meat we eat, the milk we drink and the exotic and unseasonal fruit and vegetables we import all contribute to increases in global emissions.
Reduce your food waste
It's been estimated that the average UK family will end up spending roughly £470 a year on food which is ultimately un-eaten. There's an estimated 10 million tonnes of food being wasted in the UK every year. So one simple way to reduce your emissions is to think a bit more about your weekly shop:
- Plan your meals around the ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates so that you ensure you use your food before it goes bad.
- Consider composting your food waste. You can find more information about composting on our composting page.
Consider your meat and dairy consumption habits
Meat and dairy production contribute an estimated 14.5% to global greenhouse gas emissions. One way to reduce emissions from your food consumption is to eat a little bit less meat and dairy.
Meat and dairy are still an important part of your diet, but considering reducing consumption through one or two meat and dairy free days a week can help. You can also look at purchasing organic meat and dairy, which are produced thorough a low intensity system and therefore less emissions intensive.
Reducing meat and dairy consumption can also have health benefits. You can find official NHS advice on meat consumption on the NHS website.