Welsh residents throw away over £700 in freezable food every year

New stats have revealed Welsh residents throw away over £700 in freezable food every year – the cost of a holiday for two.

A new study by leading electricals retailer AO.com shows Welsh residents waste 8.67% of their food shop, or £60.06 per month, equating to an eye-watering £720.67 every year.

That’s enough for a week-long holiday in Gran Canaria for two, with Welsh residents clearly struggling to eat food before it goes out of date.

According to the study by fridge retailer AO, essential groceries such as bread, vegetables and fruit – all of which can be frozen – were listed as the most likely items to end up in the bin.

Sarah Heaps, food storage expert at AO.com, said: “It’s alarming to see the sheer amount of wastage generated by Welsh residents, particularly amid a cost of living crisis.

Extend shelf life

“Binning over £700 worth of food annually, which equates to the cost of a holiday, really puts things into perspective – can families really afford to continue living that way?

“Our study highlights that many of the frequently discarded items, like bread, vegetables, and fruit, can easily be frozen to extend their shelf life. By portioning out food and using freezing techniques, Welsh households can significantly reduce waste and save money.

“Embracing smarter food storage solutions and technology is essential in helping us all live more sustainably.”

Findings

The survey also revealed how much Welsh residents spend on groceries per week – with the figure coming out at £153.96 per household of two adults – £692.82 per month. That figure exceeded cities like Southampton, Newcastle and Brighton, however was significantly less than Manchester and London, where residents spend £853.47 and £837.99 respectively.

Sarah Heaps added: “The findings in our survey underscore the importance of better food management practices families can adopt – to combat waste and boost sustainability in Wales and beyond.”

In light of the findings, AO.com have partnered with influencer Kate Hall, known as The Full Freezer, to help Brits make the most of food storage options and reduce waste in their households.

Kate’s ten tips to reduce food waste and save money:

1. Fruit and veg – Save £5.24 a week from grocery shop, £272.48 per year
Thrown out 53 times a year (over once a week)

Kate says: “Most people don’t realise that you can freeze fruit and veg at home. Whilst they won’t defrost well, frozen fruits can be blitzed in smoothies or used in baking, and veg can be used in cooked dishes.

“For fruit, simply wash, dry, and chop up as appropriate and freeze it on a lined tray before moving to a freezer bag. This way it won’t freeze in a solid clump.

“The same technique can be used for veg, although some vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are best ‘blanched’ before freezing. This just means putting them in boiling water and then ice water, which helps to preserve the colour, texture and flavour.

“Once you’ve blanched your veg, open-freeze it just as described for fruit, and always cook it straight from frozen for the best quality.

2. Breads – Save £1.40 a week, £72.80 per year

Thrown out 51 times a year on average (once a week)

“Bread is a common one that’s hard to get through before it starts going mouldy,” Kate explains. “Don’t be tempted to put it in the fridge though, as although this will stop it going bad, it will make it go stale faster.

“Instead, freeze your bread. If you can’t fit a whole loaf in the freezer that’s okay, just take out some slices as soon as you open it and freeze them flat in a large freezer bag. You’ll be able to fit far more in the freezer like this! These slices can be toasted straight from frozen, or defrosted at room temperature. Just be sure to keep the bread wrapped whilst it thaws so it doesn’t dry out.”

3. Milk – Save £0.65 a week, £33.80 per year

Thrown out 47 times a year on average (every 10 days).

“If you know you’re guilty of your milk turning sour before you can use it, consider storing some of it in the body of the fridge instead of the door (decant it into a bottle that seals securely so it doesn’t spill). Doing this can add up to three days to its shelf-life.

“If you still can’t get through your milk fast enough, consider freezing it. I like to freeze mine in usable portions, flat in a freezer bag so it can be quickly defrosted in a dish of cold water when I want to make my porridge or a cup of tea! Milk can sometimes look yellow when frozen and may split when it defrosts, don’t be put off by this, it’s just the fats separating from the water. Give it a good shake and it’ll come back together!”

4. Meat and fish – Save £4.80 a week, £249.60 per year
Thrown out 43 times a year on average (every 10-12 days)

“Instead of letting meat or fish go to waste, freeze it. But before you do, consider how you’re likely to want to use it. For example, if you have a big packet of minced meat, divide it up into smaller portions and freeze it flat in freezer bags. This way it will take up less space, and will be much faster to defrost when you want to use it.

“It’s also handy to freeze items such as sausages or fish fillets individually, particularly if you’ve opened a pack and don’t need all of them. A simple hack is to freeze the raw leftovers spread out in the original packaging, just be sure to enclose this in a freezer bag, and freeze away from ready-to-eat foods to avoid any cross-contamination. Once the meat or fish are frozen solid you can remove the packaging, squeeze the air out of the bag and seal.”

5. Yoghurt – Save £0.83 a week, £43.16 per year
Thrown out 41 times a year on average (every 12-14 days)

“Yoghurts tend to be a bit thin and less creamy after freezing, so although you can freeze, thaw in the fridge and eat, I prefer to use them to make frozen fruity lollies, yoghurt bark, or freeze it in ice cubes to use in smoothies. Plain yoghurt can also be frozen flat in freezer bags in usable portions so that it can be used in cooking.”

6. Potatoes – Save £0.89 a week, £46.28 per year
Thrown out 38 times a year (every 14-18 days)

Kate says: “If you’ve got loads of spuds that you know won’t get eaten, then you can also freeze these! Unlike other veg they can’t be frozen raw though. A few great options for your tatties are: 

• Make mash and freeze it flat in freezer bags. When you want it, you can run the bag under the cold tap, break your mash out and reheat it from frozen in a pan or in the microwave.
• Bake lots of jacket potatoes, allow them to cool (within two hours for safety reasons) and then freeze. These can be reheated from frozen in the microwave in a few minutes when you want them (just make sure they’re piping hot throughout!)
• Half make your roasties ready for roasting; peel and parboil them as you usually would, but instead of putting them in the oven, allow them to cool and then freeze them. When you want to eat them, you can roast them straight from frozen as if they were fresh!”

7. Stock – Save £0.25 a week, £13 per year
Thrown out 37 times a year (every 2-3 weeks)

“If you usually end up with more stock than you need, freeze any leftovers. To save on space, it’s worth boiling your stock down until you’ve got around a quarter of the original amount, then once it’s cooled, pour it into an ice cube tray. When it’s frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or sealable container to store and use them straight from frozen in your cooking.”

8. Cheese – Save £2.08 a week, £108.42 per year
Thrown out 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks)

Kate says: “Hard and semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar and gouda freeze best, and ideally should be grated before freezing so they can be used straight from the freezer (although parmesan can be grated from frozen with a microplane grater!).

“For semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, I like to tear or cut it into bitesize pieces to add straight onto pizzas and pasta before cooking.

“Softer cheeses should be portioned into usable quantities and tightly wrapped before freezing to ensure they are well protected from the cold air. When you want to eat them, thaw them slowly in the fridge before moving to room temperature to serve.”

9. Eggs – Save £1.24 a week, £64.48 per year
Thrown out 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks)

“People are always surprised to find they can freeze eggs! If you have a leftover white or yolk then these can be frozen, although you should add a little salt or sugar to the yolk to prevent it from turning too gloopy (don’t forget to label your bag or container so you know if your yolks are sweet or salty).

“If you want to freeze whole eggs, break them out of the shell, then whisk them before freezing. It’s a good idea to do this because the yolk and white will not combine easily after freezing and defrosting. You can then freeze your whisked eggs in an ice cube or muffin tray, and then store them in a freezer bag once they are solid. Or freeze them flat in usable portions in a freezer bag so they take up less space and can be defrosted much faster.”

10. Herbs – Save £1.25 a week, £65 per year
Thrown out 36 times a year (every 2-3 weeks)

“For most households, it’s difficult to use up herbs before they wilt, but freezing them can save you about £65 per year! You won’t be able to use them as a garnish, but frozen herbs hold their flavour really well and can be used straight from the freezer in cooked dishes.

“The simplest option for freezing is to just wash and dry your herbs and then pop them in a freezer bag, but you can also mix them with oil, butter or water and freeze them in ice cube trays if you want your herbs ready-portioned! Remember to label the bag so you know what they are!