The full impacts of food waste

Food waste has so many negative impacts. It isn’t just about a loss of product, it affects so much more.

One of the biggest concerns is the greenhouse gases that food in landfill produces. The UN says that 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions is down to wasted food. The methane produced contributes largely to the climate change crisis our planet is currently facing. It also has indirect impacts on our health, crop yields and vegetation. WWF has shown that 1.3 billion tonnes of fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and more goes to waste, this is equivalent to one-third of all the food produced in the world. The energy used in production, transportation and storing food also produces greenhouse gases.

Which leads us to the the second biggest impact is the waste of resources. When you throw away food, it’s not just that singular item that is wasted, but the water, energy, time and manual labour put into growing the produce.  To produce 1kg of potatoes, it takes at least 287 litres of water.

The third impact is deforestation. The population is growing, meaning more land is required for growing crop. Many trees are being cut down to make room for food growth. Greenpeace states that 80% of global deforestation is due to the agriculture population continuously rising. This deforestation results in decreased biodiversity, as habitats are being destroyed and removed.

The final impact covered in this article is cost. Waste managed 2024 says that food waste is costing the UK £14 million only with households. The UN’s mission to reduce food waste concluded that in 2018, the U.K. produced 9.5 million tonnes of waste. This waste as a whole cost the UK £19 billion, which is equal to £284 per person.

It’s apparent that food waste has an impact on everyone, as well as the planet- however we can all take steps to reduce our personal waste.

Check out articles on our ‘Make A Change’ section to find out the best ways you can control your food.