It may look like an elaborate Halloween display, but the reality of the picture above is a lot more sinister.
3.75 tonnes (3.75kg) of food has been used to transform this London house, in a bid to raise awareness of the capital's food waste problem. The display represents the amount of food thrown away by just 14 households each year, adding up to 910,000 tonnes being chucked out across the capital annually. Potatoes, bread, meat and carrots are among the most common offenders.
The eye-catching display is the work of the Small Change, Big Difference campaign, which works to raise awareness of food waste in London. Not only is it wasteful to dispose of edibles when there are people in need of food, but there's an environmental aspect too — Small Change, Big Difference estimates that if London's food waste was sent to landfill, it would release more than 420,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.
Ali Moore at Small Change, Big Difference said:
When food is emptied into the rubbish bin, it produces damaging CO2 emissions. Our campaign aims to demonstrate the impact food waste can have, while raising awareness amongst Londoners of the small changes that really can make a big difference. By eating less meat, freezing and storing food correctly and recycling food waste that can’t be eaten, like peelings, bones and eggshells, Londoners can save money and help protect the planet.
Small Change, Big Difference is encouraging people to make use of the food recycling collections provided by most London councils, using it for things such as peelings, bones and eggshells, as well as any leftover food. Once collected, the waste is turned into energy or compost, preventing it from going to landfill.
The Mayor has asked boroughs which do not currently have a separate food waste collection to introduce one for all street-level households by 2020, to help hit London’s recycling and carbon reduction targets.
Oh, and in case you were wondering — the food use to create this display was later donated to City Harvest, which redistributes surplus food to Londoners in need.
Find out more about Small Change, Big Difference, including events around the capital which offer tips of cooking and storing food to reduce food waste.
