Torridge District Council supports Stop Food Waste Day 2026 by encouraging residents to 'watch what they waste.'
Torridge District Council is supporting Stop Food Waste Day 2026, taking place on Wednesday 29 April, by encouraging residents to reduce the amount of food wasted in their homes and make the most of their weekly food shopping.
Stop Food Waste Day is an opportunity to highlight how small changes, such as planning meals, storing food correctly, freezing extra portions and getting creative with leftovers, can make a real difference. Leftover ingredients can often be turned into soups, stir‑fries, salads or pasta dishes, helping households save money while reducing waste.
Food waste is a major challenge across the UK, with around 9.5 - 9.6 million tonnes of food thrown away every year. Alarmingly, approximately 6.4 - 6.7 million tonnes of this waste is still edible at the point of disposal.* This issue is mirrored locally. In Devon, food accounts for around 30 per cent of household waste, much of which could be avoided.* Between April and December last year alone, Torridge District Council's waste and recycling crews collected 1831 tonnes of food waste, which is equivalent to the weight of around 300 elephants or more than 17 blue whales.
Councillor Chris Leather, Lead Member for Operational Services at Torridge District Council, said:
"Stop Food Waste Day is a great opportunity for residents to think about some simple changes that can make a real difference to the amount of food they waste each week. Wasting less food not only helps households save money but also reduces the environmental impact of what we throw away.
"However, food that cannot be eaten doesn't have to go to waste. When residents use their food waste caddies, it can be put to good use and turned into something beneficial."
Residents are reminded to line their food waste caddies to keep them clean and easy to empty. Any type of liner can be used, including old bread bags, compostable liners or even newspaper. Both cooked and uncooked food can go into the caddies, including fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, meat, fish, dairy products, bread and leftovers. Packaging and other non‑food items should not be included, as this contaminates the recycling process.
While the focus of Stop Food Waste Day is on reducing avoidable waste, any food that does need to go into a food waste caddy doesn't go to waste. Collected food waste is taken to Deepmoor Recycling Centre in Torrington before being transported to Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd in Dorset, where it is treated through anaerobic digestion. This process converts food waste into renewable biogas, while the remaining material is pasteurised and used by local farmers as a nutrient‑rich bio‑fertiliser.
For more tips on reducing food waste and using food waste caddies correctly, visit www.recycledevon.org.
* Food Waste Statistics in the UK: 2026 Facts, Data & Key Insights
Apr 26
