The average British family bins one third of a ton of left-over food every year – with Chinese takeaways and roast dinners most commonly chucked out, a study has revealed. Research carried out among 2,000 adults found oversize portions from Chinese takeaways account for a large chunk of the staggering 745lbs or 338kgs of waste.
Uneaten meat, potatoes and vegetables from the popular Sunday meal also find their way into the bin frequently.
Parents who over-estimate family meal quantities and fussy kids who turn their nose up at dinner time also contributes to the incredible figure.
In fact, the study showed as many as six in ten families regularly fail to finish everything on their plates, so end up scraping the left-overs into the food bin.
A spokesman for food waste disposal firm InSinkErator, which commissioned the research, said:
”Throwing away the odd bit of food from each meal might not seem like a lot, but when you add that up over a week or year, it’s a staggering amount.
”Not only is it horrible to see how much food gets wasted, but if you think of how much you spend buying that food in the first place, it can be quite unsettling.
”But it’s interesting to see that Chinese takeaway is one of the main meals we throw away. Many people order too much and end up struggling to eat it all.
”If you or members of your family find it difficult to clear their plate and your food waste bin is bulging, cooking less will not only mean you end up saving yourself money but you won’t have to deal with messy job of throwing the food waste away.”
The study found the average household will throw away 6.5 kilograms of food waste every week – a total of 338 kilograms or 745lbs a year.
And of that, almost one fifth is made up of leftovers and cooked food that has gone uneaten – the equivalent of around three full plates of food each week.
60% of Brits admitted they don’t always eat everything that is put in front of them, with another 70% saying they usually have to scrape uneaten food off their children’s plates as well.
Almost one in three said they leave food because they have simply put too much on their plate, while another 19% don’t like the taste of what is put in front of them.
And when it comes to children, 41%leave something because they are too fussy to eat it.
Almost one in ten youngsters also refuse to eat food that has been burnt or overcooked.
Roast dinner scraps was named the most common leftover food to end up in the bin, followed by Chinese takeaway scraps and pasta bakes.
Other popular meals which often end up in the rubbish include fish and chips, stir-fry and risotto.
The study also found that 46% of Brits admitted they worry about the amount of food they throw away, with another 56% concerned about the cost.
Despite this, 55% admit they know they often cook too much food for their family.
It also emerged that 62% think dealing with food waste is one of the most unhygienic and disliked jobs in the kitchen, while 56% see dealing with the food waste nothing but an inconvenience.
A spokesman for InSinkErator added:
”It is incredible how much we leave on our plates, and how it all adds up.
”As they say as soon as you start to measure it, then you can start to do something about it; so many of us have no idea of the amount of left over food we throw away.
”Unsurprisingly, most of hate the messy business of binning left overs. It is disgusting, dirty, an inconvenience and very unhygienic.”
TOP TEN MOST COMMON MEALS TO THROW AWAY
1. Roast dinner
2. Chinese takeaway
3. Pasta bake
4. Curry and rice
5. Fish and chips
6. Spaghetti bolognaise
7. Stir-fry
8. Lasagne
9. Risotto
10. Pies
