Clare householders urged to Stop Food Waste

Clare householders are being encouraged to participate in the Stop Food Waste Challenge to help reduce the estimated €700 worth of food that is wasted annually by each Irish family.

Clare County Council, in conjunction with the Stop Food Waste campaign, is running a series of four one-hour workshops commencing on October 15 and continuing through November. 

The workshops will cover a range of issues including meal planning, smart shopping, awareness of what is being wasted, proper food storage and composting methods.

Joan Tarmey, Environmental Awareness Officer for Clare said the Stop Food Waste Challenge will involve a group of householders working together to reduce their food waste and save money in the process.

She added: “Nobody wants to intentionally waste food, but we have all got into habits such as preparing too much, leaving leftovers in the fridge, and forgetting about foodstuffs in the bottom of the fridge and freezer. However, help is at hand to save money and reduce food waste by a quarter."

Consigning food waste to landfill is not an option anymore, preventing waste is the priority.  Where this is not possible, unavoidable food waste should be captured and processed into biogas and/or soil improvers; and this will lead to reduced carbon dioxide emissions”, explained Ms. Tarmey.

The workshops will look at what is being wasted; meal planning and smart shopping; avoiding what you don’t need; storing food properly; as well as composting methods.

Meanwhile, Clare County Council is asking householders to separate their food waste to ensure it does not end up in the mixed waste bin.  The Council confirmed that it is undertaking a series of surveys and inspections under the Food Waste Regulations and Waste Presentation Byelaws.

John O’Malley, Waste Enforcement Officer with Clare County Council said: “Both the Waste Presentation Bye-laws and Food Waste regulations require householders to separate their waste into three: food waste, recyclables and residual waste (wet waste). This requirement has already been in place for a number of years for businesses”. 

Mr. O’Malley added: “While the overall aim is to prevent food waste; it is also important that where food waste arises that it is captured and presented properly for subsequent processing." 

Further information on food waste prevention and what you can put in your brown bin is available from the Environment Section on 065 6846386 or on the Council’s website: www.clarecoco.ie/water-waste-environment/ education-and-awareness. or www.stopfoodwaste.ie.

To register your household for the Stop Food Waste Challenge contact the Environment Section of Clare County Council on 065-6846386 or email mgriffin@clarecoco.ie.  Participants will be taken on a first-come first-served basis. 
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