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November 3,2021

Anna Murray 

To correspond with the start of the COP26 climate summit, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, published a review of household behavior in relation to food waste, recycling, energy use, and air travel this week.

According to the research of the ONS, the UK generated approximately 9.5 million tons of food waste in 2018, a 15% decrease from 11.2 million tons in 2007, implying that people created the equivalent of 143kg of food waste per person, down from 181kg in 2007.

According to Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) figures, slightly over half (54 percent) of the UK people reported "avoiding or minimizing throwing away food" in March 2020. A quarter (26%) reported doing so to mitigate the effects of climate change, while two-thirds (66%) said they did it for other reasons like lifestyle preferences, expenditure, convenience, wellness, or ethical considerations.