Food Waste Action Week

Food Waste Action Week 2026

This year, the UK's biggest annual food waste reduction campaign will run from 9 - 15 March 2026. The week inspires simple, practical action that helps food go further - saving money, time and stress, while protecting the planet.

Why this matters

In the UK, 60% of food waste happens in our homes. Each year, households throw away 4.4 million tonnes of edible food - that's worth £17.5 billion and creates 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. For a family of four, that averages out at £1000 a year!

At a time of rising costs and climate pressure, reducing food waste is one of the fastest, simplest ways to save money and reduce waste

In 2026, Food Waste Action Week's theme is Make Your Food Go Fuuuuuuuurther: for your pocket, for our planet.

By preventing food waste, using up leftovers, and recycling anything that can't be eaten, we can unlock more value from the food we already have by helping it to stretch further.

Keep an eye on Council social media channels during FWAW for tips and ideas on how to reduce food waste by making your food go further.

During the week, members of our Recycling Team will be out and about in local shopping centres: if you see them at their information stand, please say hello! They will be happy to answer any food waste recycling questions that you may have.

Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre | Tuesday 10 March | 9am to 4pm
Ards Shopping Centre | Thursday 12 March | 9am to 4pm

Throughout the year, there are lots of great ideas shared by the Love Food Hate Waste Community on their website and social media channels. The Love Food Hate Waste website is great for guidance, and includes useful tools such as:

Simple changes to habits can all add up and make a big difference!