New food waste tool kit launches for Buckinghamshire residents

Buckinghamshire Council has introduced a new ‘food waste tool kit‘ to help local households get the best value for money out of their food shopping.

The new tool kit is part of a package of wide-ranging support the council has put in place to help counter the impact of high costs, high inflation and high energy prices that are affecting everyone.

For those facing hardship targeted help is available through the Buckinghamshire Council Helping Hand service, measures like the new food waste tool kit are designed to help everyone to make their money go further.

Estimates show the average family of four could save £60 each month by reducing food waste, as well as lowering the negative impact that food waste has on the planet. Buckinghamshire homes produce at least 30,000 tonnes of food waste every year, enough to fill 250,000 wheelie bins and two thirds of that is edible!

The food waste tool kit gives some simple facts and advice about food waste and how to reduce it in your home, ultimately to help more local people save money and make their food shop go further. The new tool kit is now live on the Buckinghamshire Council website within the dedicated ‘cost of living’ section, which gives full information on what help, advice and support is available around the cost of living, and how to access it.

Importantly too, the tool kit includes information on where residents can find their nearest community fridge – a space with fridges and freezers where local people and businesses can donate fresh, good quality surplus food that would otherwise be wasted; the donated food is then made freely available for local people to collect.

The tool kit also tells people how to set up a community fridge in their area, including how to access food to fill it, for free.

Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities at Buckinghamshire Council, said: ‘The rise in the cost of living has impacted everyone, across the board. We know food prices in particular have gone up sharply and that’s why the council sees this toolkit as an important as part of our overall package of help. While much of the advice is common sense, it pulls information and tips together into one handy place and I am sure anyone reading and using the tool kit might change their behaviours and be able to save more money on food.

I also want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of our Helping Hand service and the advice that’s available on our website. The cost of living pressures are impacting us all in varying degrees and help is there for a whole range of need, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch, whatever situation you find yourself in.‘

The food waste tool kit is live on the Buckinghamshire Council website under www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living. It’s part of a wide range of measures in place to support Buckinghamshire residents facing rising costs and bills; these include:

• Digital food vouchers for eligible people including nursery and school children.
• Further targeted support for priority groups through digital vouchers and other schemes.
• A unique ‘Crisis Fund’ with the charity ‘Heart of Bucks’, which has raised more than £180,000 already for local residents – offering another valuable pot of funding to help people struggling to cover their bills.
• A network of ‘Welcoming Spaces’ for people to come into safe, inclusive spaces that offer warmth, support and company.

*Source of information : Press release from Buckinghamshire Council.