Irish families are wasting an average of €21.16 worth of food after every barbecue or picnic, research for Too Good to Go has found.
A majority of households (52 per cent) recognise that summer is the peak season for food waste, with half saying that they "overbuy" fresh ingredients (51 per cent).
A third (32 per cent) admit to throwing away food before heading off on holiday, and 58 per cent discard at least a small amount.
A further third (34 per cent) throw away BBQ or picnic leftovers, with salad topping the list of the most commonly wasted items (50per cent).
Overestimating how much food is needed is cited by 61% as the primary cause of this waste, and two-thirds (65 per cent) said they worry about how much food their household wastes.
“Summer is a time to enjoy great food and company, but it’s also when many households unknowingly waste food and money," said Machaela O'Leary, sales manager at Too Good to Go.
"With an average of over €20 being thrown away after each BBQ or picnic, there’s a real need to plan smarter. Using tools like Too Good To Go to rescue surplus food can help families enjoy summer meals without the guilt.”
Too Good to Go provided a number of tips to cut summer food waste:
- Shop with realistic portion sizes to avoid overbuying
- Use the Too Good To Go app to rescue quality surplus food at a discount
- Store leftovers properly and freeze what you won’t eat soon
- Get creative with leftovers to stretch your meals
- Track what gets eaten to improve future shopping and cooking
Photo: Machaela O'Leary, sales manager at Too Good to Go. (Pic: Supplied)
