MANSFIELD: Free lunch to highlight waste

The Feed the 1,000 challenge is being held at King George V Park, off Black Scotch Lane, in Mansfield, on Sunday 1st June between 11am and 3pm.

The event will aim to highlight the amount of food an average family wastes in a year - and what we could be doing with it instead.

The challenge is based on the fact that 1,000 meals could be made with the amount of money the average family wastes every year by throwing away uneaten food.

Veolia spokesman Kevin Parker said: “In financial terms, this represents a shocking £700 a year, or around £50 a month, per household simply thrown away. Across the whole of the UK over £12 billion worth of food ends up in landfill.”

The event, which is part of the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign, will see 1,000 meals cooked up and dished out for free. Love Food Hate Waste is the ‘Waste Not Want Not’ of the modern day, providing recipes for using up leftovers and handy tips and advice to help everyone waste less food.

Coun Jim Creamer, chairman of the council’s environment and sustainability committee, said: “There are lots of easy ways to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away like planning meals, measuring out portions and using up leftovers. This event is the second of three being held across Nottinghamshire to help people find out more, save money, and do their bit for the environment.”

The Feed 1,000 Challenge lunch event has been made possible by support from the Mansfield District Council Parks Team offering the location. There will be groups displaying information at the event and offering atmosphere and games alongside the Maypole Good Time Band. If your group, charity or school would like a free stand please contact us via: [email protected]

The Love Food Hate Waste national campaign is run by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) whose vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably.