Average Brit wastes £272 of freezable fruit and veg a year, survey suggests

A new study from leading electrical retailer AO.com has revealed that the average Brit throws out £450 worth of freezable essential foods each year – approximately £35,000 in their lifetime.

The survey of more than 3,000 respondents discovered that fruit and veg are the worst offending items, with UK consumers admitting to binning them most frequently throughout the week.

According to the data, fruit and veg accounts for over 60 per cent (£272.48) of the average amount of food wasted each year (£450). 

The survey also found that the average Brit spends £85.72 on their weekly grocery shop, before throwing away 10 per cent of the items bought.

Essential groceries such as bread, vegetables and fruit were listed as the most likely items to end going to waste, as shoppers admitted to struggling to eat food before it goes out of date.

However, analysis also found that common items being wasted can be frozen to prolong shelf life.

Food storage expert at AO.com, Sarah Heap, said: “In the wake of the cost-of-living crisis, the findings that Brits are binning the equivalent of a month’s worth of food every year is really shocking – especially when this figure equates to more than the average UK salary in a person’s lifetime.”

She added: “However, our study found that many of the essential food items that are ending up in the bin could actually be saved.

“By portioning out these items at the start of the week and filling up the freezer, Brits could save money and reduce their food waste.”

Heap concluded: “Technology also has its role to play in helping us to live more sustainably, and its important people make the most of the way they store foods to prolong shelf life. For example, all the items listed in our survey can be frozen – such as bread, cheese, stock and potatoes – if prepared in the right way first.”