A new report into the scale of the UK’s food waste has revealed that more than £12 billion worth of products which are still fit for consumption are discarded each year.

New research from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has revealed vast amounts of food are being thrown out in decent condition.

The average family with children is likely to waste around £680 a year through avoidable food and drink disposal, while the average household affords £480 to wasted food.

According to the report, Household Food and Waste in the UK, we throw food out are because we cook or prepare too much.

Moreover, consumers let food go off, either completely untouched, or opened and started but not finished.

Some 2.2 million tonnes of avoidable food and drink waste is left over after cooking, preparing or serving and 2.9mt is not used before its use by date.

The findings show that the amount of food we waste has largely stabilised but the addition of liquids has increased the amount of avoidable food waste from 4.1mt to 5.3mt every year.

Around 20mt of carbon dioxide a year is said to be associated with avoidable food and drink waste.

This is equivalent to 2.4 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions associated with all consumption in the UK, as methane emitted from landfill sites is particularly strong. It is thought more effective composting, as well as reduced waste, could cut this significantly.

The report also reveals that £190m of the £1.6bn of drink wasted each year is due to fruit juices and smoothies.

WRAP's objective is to reduce household food waste being sent to landfill by 250,000t by March 2011, with the saving 1.1m tonnes of carbon dioxide.

A WRAP spokesperson said consumers should look to its Love Food Hate Waste campaign for “some great tips on simple planning, portioning and storing our food and drink that can help us save as much as £50 a month".

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