Getting Started
Turn food waste into food wins
The average Irish household wastes €700-worth of perfectly good food every year. When the weekly shop already feels expensive enough, it doesn't make sense to throw money in the bin. The government aims to reduce food waste by 50% by the end of the decade. Here's how to keep more food on your plate, and more money in your pocket.
Why your wallet will thank you
A lot of the food we throw out isn't mouldy leftovers – it's fresh bread, unused vegetables or meals that never made it to the table. The reasons are different for everyone: we buy too much, plans change, leftovers go off in the fridge, etc. Families that plan their meals, or check their fridge before hitting the shops, can cut back on this waste significantly.
The environmental reality
Irish households generate 220,000 tonnes of food waste yearly. This isn't just wasted food; it’s everything that went into producing the wasted food: water, energy, transport, packaging etc. When food rots in landfill, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas 28-times more potent than CO2.
If every household in Ireland cut their food waste by 50%…
Every home would save €350 a year
We'd prevent the equivalent of 200 baguettes from every home going to waste which, if stacked end to end, would reach almost three-times the height of Croke Park
We'd collectively cut emissions equivalent to taking approximately 185,000 cars off Irish roads for a year
Understanding food labels
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Use By = Safety First
These dates matter for food safety: think meat, fish, ready-made salads, etc. After the ‘use-by’ date, these foods are unsafe – unless they were frozen when still in date.
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Best Before = Quality Check
Typically, a ‘best before’ date is used for food products such as canned, dried or frozen foods. Many foods that are past their ‘best before’ date may be safe to eat, but their quality may have deteriorated.
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Freezer Extension
Many foods can be frozen before (never after) their use-by date, extending their life by months. Too much bread? Slice and freeze. Meat approaching its use-by date? Freeze in portions. Your freezer is your best food waste prevention tool.
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Storage Instructions Matter
Those ‘keep refrigerated’ or ‘store in a cool, dry place’ instructions are essential for dates to be accurate, and to maintain food quality.
Looking for leftover inspiration?
Enjoy these recipes and tips from some of our favourite
- Stop Food Waste Stop Food Waste is the national campaign to reduce household food waste in Ireland
- Grow it Yourself Learn to grow, cook and eat some of your own food.
- Chef’s Manifesto Chefs from around the world exploring sustainable food.
- Love Food Hate Waste Simple hacks, tips and guidance to make the most of your food at home.
- BBC Good Food Don't let anything go to waste with BBC’s top leftover recipes.
Three simple steps that cut waste
Make the most of what you have
Your fridge contents should drive your meal plan, not the other way around. Start with what needs using up, not what you fancy cooking. Got chicken going out of date? That's tonight's dinner sorted. Vegetables looking tired? Perfect for a stir-fry or soup.
Perfect your portions
Use package guidance as your starting point, but cook for your reality. Making extra portions for tomorrow's lunch saves time, clean-up and prevents waste. Try family-style serving – people take what they need, and leftovers stay in serving dishes, rather than being scraped from plates.
Love your leftovers
Make leftovers visible and prioritise eating them. Can't face the same meal two days in a row? Freeze it or reinvent it – add fresh rice to leftover curry, throw greens into yesterday's noodles, or go full tapas-style with several small leftover portions. Sunday's roast becomes Monday's shepherd's pie, with just a few extra ingredients.
Irish households bin €60 worth of food every month - that's €700 annually that could stay in your pocket
