Harrogate College picks up top tips to stop food waste and help the environment

Harrogate College, as part of Green Month, brought together students and staff to educate them on the impact of food waste.

The college invited Lucy Mccarey, from Too Good To Go, to talk about reducing food waste.

Lucy, who has spent over two years fighting food waste, and is passionate about the planet, introduced students to her top tips such as planning meals and storing food correctly – as well as using resources like the Too Good To Go app, where individuals can buy discounted food from organisations to prevent it being thrown away.

Fun fact

According to research, the UK wastes 2.5 billion tonnes of food yearly while 870 million go hungry. Food waste is also directly responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Students in the fight against food waste

Student representatives at the college are now looking into how they can reduce food waste in the college’s kitchens. A number of students also attended carbon literacy workshops, where they received information on reducing their carbon footprint and how to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Making a difference

Megan Haskwell, Student Enrichment Coordinator at Harrogate College, said: “Waste reduction is a major factor in how we can protect our environment in the future. It can be difficult for young people to recognise the impact of waste, but it’s important to show them how small daily habits can make a big difference.

“Lucy’s webinar was both informative and inspirational. Most of us probably throw away far more over the course of a year than we think and the webinar highlighted what we can do better to reduce food waste.

“We’re continuing to promote the Too Good to Go app and sharing some of the key statistics  around college, so that more people learn about this.”