We’re throwing away a lot of food across the Liverpool City Region. In 2025/26, an estimated 123,621 tonnes of food ended up in our bins (more than a quarter of all the rubbish thrown away). That’s a big number, but reducing food waste doesn’t have to mean making big changes.
A quick check before you shop, planning a few meals, using your fridge and freezer well, and making the most of leftovers can all help. When more of the food you buy gets eaten, your food shop can go further too.
Scan your Scran
A lot of food saving can happen before you even leave the house. Take a quick look in your fridge, freezer and cupboards before you shop. Knowing what you already have can help you avoid buying things twice and give you ideas for what to cook.
One small step: Why not take a picture of the contents of your fridge before you leave for the supermarket, so you can remind yourself what you have before you buy?
Plan. Use. Save
Once the food is home, a few simple habits can help you use more of what you have, make it last longer and save money along the way.
Use it before you lose it
Keep food that needs using first somewhere you can see it. Moving it to the front of the fridge can give everyone a quick reminder of what needs eating.
You could also have a regular “use it up” meal, using whatever needs eating from the fridge, freezer or cupboards. Not sure what to make? Search the ingredients you need to use up and find a recipe that brings them together.
Freeze it for another day
If you know you are not going to use something in time, check whether it can be frozen. Bread, milk, cooked meals and many other foods can be frozen before they go to waste.
Leftovers can also be frozen in portions, giving you an easy meal for another day.
Give leftovers another go
Leftovers do not have to mean eating the same meal again. Cooked vegetables can become soup, curry or pasta sauce. Leftover roast meat can go into sandwiches, wraps or stir-fries. Rice, pasta and potatoes can often become another meal with a few extra ingredients.
A quick win! Before throwing food away, ask yourself, “Could this become part of tomorrow’s lunch or dinner?”
3 meals. 1 food shop.
A little planning can help you get more from the food you buy. Our 3 Meals, 1 Food Shop guides give you three meal ideas, one combined shopping list and a reminder to check what you already have at home first. As a rough guide, each basket costs around £22-£24 at Aldi, depending on current prices, availability and what you already have at home.
More ways to save food and money
There are lots of simple ways to make your food go further. Our Smart Ways to Stop Food Waste – and Save Money! guide brings together practical tips for planning, shopping, storing and using food, along with useful apps, websites and local services that can help you waste less.
If food can’t be eaten
Not all food waste can be avoided. Things like peelings, bones, eggshells, tea bags and coffee grounds may still need to be thrown away. Use your food waste bin for food that cannot be eaten. Keeping food waste separate from your general rubbish helps make sure it can be managed in the right way.
*check your local council website to see if you have a food waste collection in your area