Nowadays, our lives are becoming increasingly busy and all we want is a quick and easy solution to all our problems that will enable us to focus our energy on things that are most important. For today’s fast-paced generation, the major reason of worry is their meals. As a society, we depend on processed and frozen food to save time. Dependency on processed and frozen food negatively impacts our health as well as environments. Our tendency to depend on what is most convenient often leads to food wastage, which can lead to some serious consequences. Our readymade meals and meal plans delivery services provide a viable solution to save time without impacting your health and without harming the environment.

Food Waste in the UK

In the UK, according to a detailed study by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), as of 2018 the volume of food wastage generated in the hospitality sector, homes, and retail chains stood at 9.5 million tonnes. The study also revealed that the food wastage by UK households is 4.5 million tonnes of food a year which is worth £14 billion, which to £700 for an average family. There has been a slight reduction in food wastage as compared to that of 2017, but it is not enough. Taking a 6% reduction into account, the volume of food still getting wasted is equal to 10 billion edible meals.

Why food waste is a serious problem?

· Food wastage is one of the leading causes of global warming. Whenever unused food ends up in landfills it produces methane gas. Methane gas absorbs harmful radiation and heats up the earth’s atmosphere, causing climate change and global warming.

· Food wastage also leads to wastage of energy and natural resources. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the water used in the world, which means throwing out 1 KG of beef wastes 50,000 liters of water.

· Along with environment justification to reduce waste, there is a moral one as well. How can we continue to waste so much food when 1 in 9 people still do not have enough food to eat?

Household food waste account for 70 percent of the total food waste. This means we are starting to see food waste as reality, but we are turning a blind eye to what is happening in our homes. We should all start thinking about what we can and what we should do to tackle this problem. There are a few ways in which it can be done like building greater awareness of the environmental impact of food waste, establishing a nationwide food recycling system, improving culinary skills, etc.

The Government should also step up and set legally binding waste reduction targets and ensuring that businesses share the progress report publicly. For instance, The French government has passed a law that forbids the supermarkets from disposing of food that is approaching expiry. If it is edible it should be donated to charity, and if not, it should be used for animal feed or composting.

How do meal plans help to reduce waste?

· Combat Waste – By utilizing our meal plans subscription service, you are doing your bit to combat this problem.. While preparing your meals by yourself, you end up buying more ingredients than you require, therefore you are forced to let it go to waste. The way our meal plans service reduces waste is by preparing and sending you the right quantity of food made with the correct quantity of ingredients as per your preferences. Having just enough portion of food to meet your requirements ensures that no food ends up in the bin. It has also been shown in one study that 62 percent less food is wasted by meal plans subscription services than by consumers who would use the same ingredients.

· Sustainable ingredients directly from local food chains – Meal delivery services know how many orders they must fulfill every week. These companies work closely with the local producers and inform them how much quantity of ingredients they will require beforehand. Hence, local suppliers will produce just enough to meet their demand and will minimize wastage. This method of sending ingredients directly to consumers reduce waste by eliminating middlemen like wholesalers and retailers. Wholesalers and retailers buy in bulk and when the food remains unsold, they are forced to throw out tons of food. This is one of the major sources of food waste.

· Transportation – With meals getting delivered at home or office, it means people take fewer trips to the supermarket. People will only go out to buy non-perishable goods such as soaps or toiletries, for which they have to visit the supermarket once every couple of months. At the same time, one delivery van can carry meals for an entire area which can replace dozens of car trips. In this way, our Belfast meal plan delivery service can help in reducing transport emissions.

· Other Sustainability Measures – Our meal delivery services also have other features that help to save the environment and reduce waste. For example, using recyclable packaging, using few boxes and bags to transport food, forming a partnership with charities to provide unused food to poor and needy.

With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, lifestyle choices have changed all over the world. In this crucial time, it is important to do our part in saving the environment and helping people who are working around the clock for our wellbeing. Reubens gourmet meals have donated hundreds of meals to NHS front line workers throughout this ongoing pandemic.

If you want to do your part to help the environment and reduce waste, consider signing up for our Reuben's Gourmet meal plans delivery service. Our service provides you with a comprehensive list of meals included in your plan and it also allows you to choose readymade meals as per your preference, so food does not end up in the bin. With our service, you will get to try tons of new recipes. Help yourself and the environment by trying our meal plan service today.