Three quarters of Londoners buy bagged salad at least once a week during summer but a quarter will throw away as much as they eat, a new survey has found.
The survey, which questioned 1,000 Londoners, found that shoppers in the capital will send four million bags of salad to landfill this summer. It was run by environmental network Hubbub in partnership with the North London Waste Authority,
Those in the 16 to 24 age bracket will waste almost double the amount of bagged salad as the over 55s, results found. Almost three quarters (70 per cent) of those asked believed that because salad leaves are biodegradable there is no negative impact on the environment when they decompose in landfill.
The most common reason for buying bagged salad over wholehead was convenience (55 per cent), with 26 per cent choosing bagged salad because they believe it doesn’t need to be washed.
Hubbub founder and CEO, Trewin Restorick, urged shoppers to buy whole lettuce instead of bagged salad as it’s “often half the price and has a longer shelf-life”. “If you’re not going to use it, don’t buy it and save your pennies,” he said.
“We want to encourage Londoners to be a bit savvier about how they store their salad and tackle those congealed cucumbers and soggy spinach leaves festering in the fridge.”
Designed to help Londoners waste less salad, the project is also running events across north London to help people reduce food waste throughout July – the height of the salad season. It also aims to highlight the environmental impact of growing, producing and transporting salad items.
Chair of North London Waste Authority Clyde Loakes said: “If you don’t need something, don’t buy it. And if for any reason, your salad does become inedible, then compost it or put it in a food waste collection service and not the bin.”
Restorick added: “We’re also encouraging Londoners to think about growing your own – you don’t need a garden to grow lettuce, a windowsill will do and it’s easier than you think. If you do have a garden, however small, then composting is a great way to recycle your kitchen waste.'
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