23/10/2026
Last night our Scouts started a task that will see them track their food footprint, and hopefully eliminate some food waste.
We started with a game, working in patrols to retrieve "food items" from the farm, returning via a series obstacles representing the challenges of getting food to our plates. Once back at base they had to decide how/where to store the item to best preserve it: fridge, store cupboard or straight in the compost!
We then sat in for a discussion on food waste and introduced their diary sheets, which they are to fill in over the next week, in the first phase of the loop - **observe**, change, compare.
🍎 Food Waste – Small Changes Make a Big Difference! 🌍
Did you know that food waste costs the average UK family of four around £1,000 every year? Across the UK, that's a staggering £17 billion worth of food thrown away!
Wasting food doesn't just waste money. It also wastes the water, energy and resources used to produce it, contributes to climate change and puts unnecessary pressure on our planet.
🌱 What did we learn?
One of the simplest ways to reduce food waste is to store our fruit and vegetables correctly:
❄️ In the fridge: Apples, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and leafy greens.
🍌 In the fruit bowl: Bananas and tomatoes.
🥑 Ripen first, then refrigerate: Avocados, pears, peaches, mangoes and plums.
🥔 In a cool, dark cupboard: Potatoes, kept away from onions.
💚 Why does it matter?
✅ Save money on our weekly shopping.
✅ Keep food fresher for longer.
✅ Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
✅ Protect precious water, land and energy resources.
✅ Help our communities by sharing surplus food rather than throwing it away.
The big lesson? Small changes in how we buy, store and use food can make a huge difference to our wallets, our communities and our planet! 🌍♻️
