West Sussex County Council Backs National Campaign To Tackle Food Waste

West Sussex County Council is proud to support Food Waste Action Week, a national initiative which is part of the Waste and Resources Action Programme ‘s (WRAP) Love Food Hate Waste campaign, running from 17 to 23 March 2025.

The campaign raises awareness of the environmental and financial impact of food waste, while encouraging local residents to make simple, cost-saving changes that can help reduce waste.    

Research suggests that wasted food costs an average of £20 per person per month—or £80 for a family of four. In West Sussex, food waste makes up around a third of the average household rubbish, with 70% of that being edible before getting thrown away.  

This year, the focus of Food Waste Action Week is on reducing packaging by encouraging shoppers to buy loose fruit and vegetables.

Removing unnecessary plastic packaging from uncut fresh fruit and vegetables allows shoppers to buy the exact quantity they need, cutting down on both food and plastic waste.   

To support this effort, WRAP is proposing a packaging ban on 21 fruit and vegetable items.

Developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders across the supply chain, this proposal will undergo formal consultation.

If implemented, it could prevent approximately 100,000 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables from being wasted annually in homes across the UK, as well as reducing 13,000 tonnes of plastic film waste.  

To drive action across the UK food system and address challenges faced by the industry, WRAP has emphasised that policy changes like these are essential.   

Jackie Bailey, Senior Campaign Manager at Love Food Hate Waste, said:

“We know buying loose fruit and veg has the potential to significantly cut the amount of food ending up in the bin — now is the time for retailers and shoppers to make that a reality.

"Increasing loose fruit and veg offerings in stores will not only reduce hard-to-recycle plastics but will also enable shoppers to buy closer to their needs, slashing waste and stopping tens of thousands of tonnes of CO₂ emissions.”  

Councillor Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change at West Sussex County Council, added:

“In West Sussex, we know that much of the food waste in our rubbish bins could have been avoided. In fact, 70% could have been eaten at some point prior to being thrown away.

"Of that, 41% is just not used in time and 25% is binned because too much has been cooked.  

“Our Council Plan is underpinned by a commitment to protect the environment. By supporting Food Waste Action Week, we aim to reduce the amount of edible food ending up in general waste and encourage sustainable shopping habits.”  

Alongside a social media push, West Sussex Recycles will support the campaign by hosting waste prevention stands and giving away free waste prevention tools at various community events:  

• Horsham Library – Monday, 17 March 2025 
• Oving Community Food Hub – Tuesday, 18 March 2025
• Broadfield Community Food Hub – Wednesday, 19 March 2025 
• Worthing Community Food Hub – Thursday, 20 March 2025 
• Crawley Library – Friday, 21 March 2025 
• Worthing Library – Saturday, 22 March 2025 
• Storrington Community Food Hub – Wednesday, 26 March 2025 
• Bognor Community Food Hub – Wednesday, 2 April 2025 
• Petworth Community Food Hub – Thursday, 3 April 2025 
• Haywards Heath Community Food Hub – Friday, 4 April 2025 
• Southwick Community Food Hub – Wednesday, 9 April 2025  

For full event details, visit: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/land-waste-and-housing/waste-and-recycling/recycling-and-waste-prevention/events/ 

To learn more about West Sussex County Council’s Fight Against Food Waste and how you can support Food Waste Action Week, visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/FightAgainstFoodWaste