Wasted Food and Drink Costs Britain £17bn a Year

Wasted food and drink in Britain costs the country about £17bn a year, according to a report by WRAP.

In 2009 households, distributors, retailers and manufacturers threw away 18 million tons of food and drink, including packaging, the UK recycling body said.

The report said households produce 11.9 million tons of the food waste, accounting for two-thirds of the country’s total waste every year, at a cost of £12bn.

Food and beverage manufacturers waste five million tons annually, with retailers throwing away 1.4 million tons with a further 100,000t lost during the distribution process.