Your guide to SMART shopping

Shopping at a farmers market, WWT

Every year the average UK adult spends £1,725 on wasted food and goods (1), and over 6.7 million tonnes of food - that's about one-third of all the food we buy - is thrown away (2).

By SMART shopping we can avoid this – we can cut down on the amount of waste we produce and save money. Click here to download our ‘SMART shopping list’.


 

Five good reasons why we should shop SMART:

1. Reduce waste
Households in the UK throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year – that’s about one-third of all the food we buy (2). Click here to download our ‘Ways with waste’ leaflet. Even after shopping SMART it is inevitable that small quantities of waste will be produced. But rather than throwing away food scraps, this leaflet will give you hints and tips on what to do with your waste.

2. Tackle climate change
20% of our climate change emissions are related to the production, processing, transportation and storage of food (2).

3. Help support local farmers and businesses
Buying from local producers generates more money for the local economy. £10 spent in a local business generates £25 for the local area, compared with only £14 for the same amount spent in a supermarket (3). Click here to download our ‘Where to shop SMART’ leaflet which gives ideas on where to shop locally to help local farms and businesses.

4. Live more healthily
Eating food in season means eating food when it’s at its best and most nutritious. It adds variety to our diets and encourages us to cook with fresh ingredients, which is healthier than eating processed foods.

5. Support ethical produce
Considering where products have come from, how they were produced, and what the working conditions were like for those producing them can help us make ethical choices. Fairtrade, organic or free-range are just some of the options available.

For a copy of 'Your Guide to SMART Shopping' contact Sara Cundy on (01380) 725670 ext 235 or email her using the email form below.


(1) Prudential. Britain’s waste line expands to whopping £80.6 billion. Press release, May 2004
(2) WRAP. New WRAP research reveals extent of food waste in the UK. Press release, March 2007
(3) Ward and Lewis, 2002. Plugging the Leaks. London: New Economics Foundation
(4) Hickman, 2005. A Good Life. London, Eden Project Books, Transworld

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