Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK 2022

Household food waste is an ongoing challenge – one that’s not only costing people, but businesses, government and the planet, too. The 2022 Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK* report brings together data and findings on how much food and drink is wasted in our homes, why, and what it’s costing us in emissions, money and lost resources.

Compiling key findings from our in-depth research on the types and occasions of food waste at home, collections from UK Local Authorities, and diaries to understand what gets home composted or disposed down the sewer, this report provides the most complete picture of UK household food waste – and what businesses and government must do to reduce it if we want to truly become net zero. 

Key insights

How much and what type of food is being wasted at home?

• Between 2021 and 2022, the amount of household food waste collected by local authorities fell by 9% (on a per person basis).  
• Focusing on food and drink waste from all waste streams, 6.0 million tonnes was wasted in UK households in 2022 – that's around 210 kg per household or 88 kg per person per year.
• 4.4 million tonnes (73%) of this made up of edible parts, such as bread, meat, the edible parts of fruit. The remaining 27% is parts of food generally considered inedible, such as egg shells, bones, inedible peel of fruit and vegetables.
• By weight of edible parts wasted, fresh produce is the most wasted food category, followed by meals (homemade and pre-prepared), bakery, and dairy and eggs.  
• 5.0 million tonnes was collected by Local Authorities, with 3.9 million tonnes in black bins, ending up incinerated or in landfill. Around 850,000 tonnes is collected for composting or anaerobic digestion. 1 million tonnes was disposed down the sewer or home composted.

What is the environmental impact of household food waste?

• Wasted food and drink generates harmful greenhouse gas emissions, approximately the equivalent of 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This accounts for the emissions resulting from food production through to transport, retail and ultimately disposal.  
• The two categories that emit the highest levels of emissions are meat & fish and homemade & pre-prepared meals.

What's the cost of household food waste?

• £17 billion worth of edible food was wasted, costing the average household of four £1,000 per year, and individuals £2650 per year  
• Local Authorities spent over £500 million disposing and treating food waste from our homes

Why are people wasting food and drink at home?

• Nearly 40% of wasted food in households (the edible parts) happens because food wasn’t used in time – people thought the product or meal smelled or looked off or it was past its date label
• A quarter of household food waste happens because people cooked, prepared or served too much
• 22% of household food waste happens because people perceived the product as inedible or personally preferred not to eat it.

What needs to happen to reduce household food waste in the UK?

Reducing household food waste cannot solely be done through actions at home. People need the right infrastructure, product types and information to buy only what they need, store it properly, and dispose of inedible waste so that it doesn’t end up in landfill. Together we must align across policy, production and public engagement to not just recycle more, but to waste less in the first place.

Household food waste collections help people physically see what they’re throwing away, creating an opportunity for behaviour change. When paired with targeted interventions, collections can become more than a recycling tool – they can help reduce waste in the first place. Government and businesses should invest in designing, testing, and scaling behaviour-change interventions that help people understand why reducing food waste matters, ways to achieve it and how to dispose of what’s left properly.

Brands and retailers can also use food waste collection data to identify prevention opportunities, such as selling loose produce, reducing pack sizes and changing product date labelling to support households to waste less, not just recycle more.

Together we must align across policy, production and public engagement to not just recycle more, but to waste less in the first place.

Read the full report and findings below.

*This report replaces a similar report published in November 2023. The older report covering 2021/22 data, referenced figures that were calculated using a methodology inconsistent with other years. Following thorough quality assurance, the new report uses the updated figures from our 2022 Food Waste Collected By Local Authorities in the UK report, not only ensuring consistency with other years, but also providing newer results that are more relevant into the future. **