Tinned foods 'better for planet and cutting waste' as Scots urged not to can the can

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scots have been urged to take a fresh look at tinned food which eco campaigners say lasts longer, reduces waste and can be easily recycled.Zero Waste Scotland said “misconceptions” about canned goods were driving shoppers to spend more on fresh food which they end up chucking away.

New research by the green agency found a majority of Scots had issues with tinned cuisine, with a fifth saying they feel cans are a “last resort” food option.A third of those surveyed associated tinned foods like beans and soup with groups such as students and elderly people.

But ZWS said these shelf staples are cost-effective options that last for years and contain plenty of nutrients - adding the average household throws eight meals’ worth of fresh grub away every week.Food waste accounts for a whopping 30 per cent of the carbon footprint from household rubbish - and 70 per cent of all Scotland’s food waste comes from homes.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Staggeringly, UK households waste the equivalent of eight meals a week because food is stored incorrectly or not used in time.“But with the price of food going up it makes even more sense to waste as little as possible.