Reducing food waste, together!

Reducing food waste is super important to us, so after smashing our original goal to reduce our own food waste by 50% a whopping 8 years early, we have now committed to reducing it by 90% in 2030.

To help hit our target, not only have we donated 40 million meals to Neighbourly to support local communities, but we’re also celebrating our 1-year anniversary of our partnership with Too Good To Go and the 400,000 magic food bags that have been sold. This alone has saved a massive 2400 tonnes of wasted food. 

It’s important we all work together to reduce food waste so here’s how you can do your bit! Currently household food waste contributes to more than 60% of all food waste, so in support of Food Waste Action Week we’ve pulled together some easy recipes and ways for you to enjoy more taste and less waste.

Our partners in reducing food waste

Because reducing food waste is such an important issue for us, we’ve teamed up with amazing organisations that are doing fantastic work in putting excess food to better use, like Neighbourly. Through them, we donate surplus products to local communities who need them most, and with Love Food Hate Waste, we can show you more details on the importance of wasting less food at home.

Aldi is a donor to the 2022 Food Waste Action Week, helping customers to understand the environmental impact of food waste and what they can do to reduce food waste in the home. #FoodWasteActionWeek, www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

How to reduce food waste and save money

An average family of four can save £60 a month simply by reducing the amount of food they throw away. Follow the handy tips on this page and we’ll show you how easy it can be, with recipes for your leftovers, freezable food ideas and composting help too.

 

  • Check what you have in stock and make a list before you go shopping.
  • Batch cook and freeze in typical portion sizes as well as freezing leftovers to avoid waste. Take meals through the seasons!
  • Get your head around what dates on food mean. You should not eat food past its use-by date unless you freeze it in advance.
  • Use leftover meat bones and veggie peelings to make a stock for a soup or in your cooking – you can keep all of these scraps in the freezer until you have enough to make a stock.
  • Have a shelf in your fridge which is dedicated to items which will go out of date soon, so you can keep them in focus and not forget about them.
  • Set your fridge to the right temperature – below 5°C. Did you know that if you set your fridge to below 5°C, it can prolong the life of milk and other items for up to 3 days?

New meal ideas for leftover food

The most fun and delicious way to reduce food waste in your home is to make more amazing dishes with all your extra ingredients. So, grab what you have in your fridge and cupboards and give these amazing recipes a try this week. There’s lots to enjoy!

View All Recipes

How to freeze your leftover food

What to do with your leftovers is a big question for families. That’s where freezing becomes so useful. It might come as a surprise, but many of your extra ingredients can be frozen for later use in recipes. Here’s just a few you may not know about…

  • Bacon is perfect for the freezer. All you need to do is fold each extra rasher in baking paper so you can separate easier when defrosting. Once it’s all covered, put it in a zip-seal bag and freeze. Defrost for 30 minutes before cooking.
  • You might not like the idea of frozen avocado slices, but they make great guacamole, dressing and spreads. Pop your slices or pureé in sealed plastic bags and put them in your freezer for later. Defrost in cold water until the avocado thaws completely.
  • Eggs may be the oddest thing that you can actually freeze and still use later. But if you crack them, beat them and place them in a sealed tub, you can absolutely freeze them and enjoy them weeks later. Defrost them in the fridge for a day before using.
  • Whether you’re prepping your meals for the week ahead or simply storing extra from the family meal, cooked pasta is best frozen separately from your sauce. It will be good for 3-5 days in airtight containers. No need to defrost. Just cook straight away.

Some things are too good to waste

Love food, hate waste? No problem. There’s no need to let any food go to waste in your kitchen, because it turns out the most common foods are perfect for all kinds of things.

  • Oranges and lemons are a brilliant cleaning agent. Not only are they an acid antibacterial, they smell great. Stick all those used citrus peels in vinegar for 2 weeks (or more), then mix 50/50 with water. An incredible homemade eco-friendly disinfectant!
  • Don’t throw away those precious bits of cheese. Melt it in a creamy fondue or make a really good toasty. Maybe whip up a creamy macaroni cheese for supper. That’s what leftover cheese is for. Cheese rinds also pack a flavour punch to soups and broths.
  • We’re not kidding. Chilled potato peels are a great way to freshen up tired eyes. It’s because starch is an anti-inflammatory, which makes it perfect for reducing puffiness and dark circles. Leave on for about 20 minutes.
  • If your milk is near its end date then don’t throw it away. Make something delicious instead. Like this homemade Blueberry Ripple Cheesecake Ice Cream. A tangy treat for every ice cream lover.
  • Leftover bread can be used for all kinds of tasty creations, from croutons and breadcrumbs to toasties. Our favourite, however, is this savoury Mini Vegetable Tart.
  • Don’t do it! Don’t throw away those old bananas. The dogs will love those mashed up with 500ml of water, 30g honey and egg and 500g wholemeal flour. Bake for 25 mins at 170°C and see how their tails wag.

3 amazing ways to repurpose food waste

  • Recycling food waste is one of the many benefits of having a compost heap. It’s also great for insects and wildlife, encouraging heap dwellers like rove beetles or nesting bumblebees and providing the perfect hedgehog habitat.
  • Kitchen leftovers are a brilliant way to provide birds with some extra nutrition and energy all year round. Birds just love small pieces of hard cheese, roast potatoes and unsalted nuts (any will do).
  • Pick a shaded spot with a consistent environment. For a good balance of micro-organisms use 50% green waste and 50% woody brown waste and turn it every month to allow air into the mix. Wait between 6 months to 2 years to see mature dark brown compost.