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Sainsbury's reveals we are what we waste

Sainsbury

7 November 2011

The average Brit thinks they bin almost 10% of their weekly shop
Average household could save £50 a month by avoiding food waste
46% admit that they don't know the correct ways to store food
Sainsbury's reveals a set of waste 'typologies' to help people identify the ways they waste food
According to new research carried out by Sainsbury's, Brits
think they bin almost 10% of their weekly shop. With 8% wasting as
much as a quarter of the food regularly bought, the research has
identified six types of people, each of whom wastes food in a
different way.
Despite tough economic times, supporting analysis carried out by
Wrap reveals that British shoppers are unnecessarily throwing away
an incredible £12 billion worth of food a year. Furthermore, if UK
households tackled avoidable food waste, they would save an average
of £50 a month.
The research reveals that people waste food in a variety of
different ways according to their lifestyles and beliefs. To find
the best ways to tackle the problem, Sainsbury's is working with
WRAP's Love Food Hate Waste to address them one by one.
Jack Cunningham, Sainsbury's head of climate change and
environment, said: "No one wants to waste food, but
unpredictable lifestyles and hectic schedules mean many think it is
unavoidable. By recognising which type of shopper they are,
customers can learn to plan meals more effectively, cutting waste
and reducing household costs."
Hungry Hoarders, who make up 11% of the UK
adult population, shop while hungry, resulting in impulse
purchases. They often fail to plan ahead meaning their shop might
not create complete meals.
Another key offender is the Ditsy Diarist, who
currently accounts for 9% of the population. Ditsy Diarists do not
consult their little black books before their trip to the
supermarket and as they eat out a lot or work late, much of what
they buy sits unused in the fridge and is eventually thrown
away.
Other groups that have surfaced are the Food
Phobics (25%)- who are ultra-conscious and throw away food
on or before the best before date without first checking its
condition. The Separate Shoppers are a generation
of independent individuals who buy their own food without checking
what their partner or housemate has already bought, often resulting
in duplication.
However all is not lost, some people are a far more careful
about food waste. Topping the list are the Freezer
Geezers  - those who simply love their leftovers and
use their freezers effectively to minimise food waste. Similarly,
Conscientious Consumers  are a group who love
to make meals out of leftovers. Freezer Geezers and Conscientious
Consumers combined make up 44% of the population.
Food waste has become a hot topic over recent years, and the
majority (67%) of consumers admit they do not always plan their
shopping trips by making a list or meal planning, instead deciding
what to buy while in the store. 46% admit that they do not know the
correct ways to store food.
Keen to tackle this problem head on,Sainsbury's is introducing a
raft of new measures to help reduce the amount of food wasted
by:
Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food Hate Waste from WRAP
said: "The industry has a huge role to play in helping
reduce the amount of food we waste and we are working together to
achieve solid results. Our research shows, for example, that Brits
throw away around 37 million slices of bread a day in the UK and we
have a long way to go to prevent this. We hope that by working
withSainsbury's, we will help individuals enjoy their food more by
learning to love their leftovers, which will help the environment
and save money."
Defra Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister, Lord
Taylor continues: "Too much food gets wasted, which is not
only bad for the household budget, but also bad for businesses'
bottom line. Since publishing the Waste Review we've introduced new
guidance on food date labelling to help clear up confusion for
customers and stop good food going to waste. We have also set up
responsibility deals with the food industry to tackle waste in the
supply chain and help them to save money.
"The government-backed Love Food Hate Waste campaign also
provides advice to consumers on how to avoid food going to waste
and the Government is leading by example after introducing
standards requiring caterers to reduce what we throw away."
Notes to editor
Where these social types are most likely to
appear
Hungry Hoarders
Ditsy Diarists
Food Phobics
Separate Shoppers
Freezer Geezers