The community and sustainability

Lots of food is grown where it wouldn't grow naturally, and needs extra water and chemicals to grow.

If it's travelled a long way to get to the shops, there are emissions from transport and sometimes refrigeration too, so making the best use of it is really important. The 'food miles' linked to the items you buy can be reduced by buying local, or at least British, food where you can. By choosing the right, and most local, food products we can reduce our footprint by tonnes.

Residents

You can:

• make use of our food waste weekly collection service

• buy locally grown food in the borough such as at our weekly markets

• grow your own, either at home in your garden or on an allotment

• stick to seasonal British food

• grow a pot of your favourite herbs on your kitchen windowsill

• visit local farms where you can enjoy picking fresh fruit and veg to enjoy in the summer, and even pumpkins for Hallowe’en

• compost any food waste you create at home through our food waste service

• invest in food products that are ethical, trade and are less associated with things like deforestation and erosion

• if you are able to, donate food to your local food bank to aid those in food poverty

• if you want, you can reduce meat consumption, become vegetarian or vegan or change aspects of your diet to decrease the impact you have through the food you eat

• cook large batches and then freeze them so you can make food last longer

• invest in food that may be reduced in price due to it's sell by date to save money and save food from going to waste

Businesses

You can help in several ways:

• if you are a restaurant or food vendor, ensuring you procure all your products locally so they are ethically produced, don't have to travel far and support other business in the borough

• ensuring you only sell seasonal British food

• any leftover food that may go out of date soon? Use the 'Too Good To Go' app (available from Google Play Store or Apple App Store) or donate your leftover food to a food bank instead of letting it go to waste

Visitors

Aim to buy local, ethical, and seasonal food products whilst in the borough.