HALF of the UK save their leftover takeaway food for another meal, according to new national research.

The recent study, conducted by Foodhub, one of the UK’s leading food ordering apps, was carried out to investigate the UK’s attitude to food in the lead up to the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste (29th September).

The study also showed a post-lockdown increase in the number of UK households ordering takeaway meals to share.

But, though 50% of the nation salvage their leftovers for another time, 17% admitted to throwing away any uneaten food, revealing that there is still the need for awareness and education on the impact of food waste.

When it comes to sharing takeaways, 58% of Brits say they are most likely to divide their takeaway order up with their loved ones, with just 15% revealing they would rather eat a takeaway alone. Pre-pandemic, just 30% of takeaway meals were ordered to share, according to Foodhub.

In the takeaway sharing stakes, Chinese came out on top with 58% of foodie fans voting the cuisine as their favourite takeaway to share with others, with Italian coming in second (50%) and Indian rounding off the top three (48%).

With attention surrounding International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste (29th September), Foodhub also discovered that over 75% of Brits do worry about the impact food waste is having on the environment, and a further 75% of people believe that the world is becoming more conscious of food waste, demonstrating that the UK is steering in the right direction.

Ardian Mula, Foodhub spokesperson, said: “As we approach the awareness day for food loss and waste, we felt as a food and consumer brand it was important to address these issues. We want to encourage the reduction of food waste and ask our customers to share takeaways with loved ones wherever they can, so leftover food is minimised.

“It is great to hear that people are recognising food waste as an issue already, with three quarters of the nation saying they are worried about the problem and 31% admitting they recycle food more now than they did before lockdown.”

It seems there is a generational divide on the impact of food waste, as more than 6 in 10 (61%) of 18 – 24-year-olds said they are worried about the effects it has on the environment, compared to just 31% of 55 – 64-year-olds.

However, there’s still a long way to go, as evidenced by the fact that 29% of men say they don’t worry about the effects of food waste at all.

Wales demonstrated itself to be the most efficient and environmentally conscious region, with 77% of Welsh people claiming they save their leftover food for another meal, compared to only 6% who throw it away.

With International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste coming up on the 29th September, Foodhub wants to highlight the importance of food waste on the environment and encourages all of its customers to share and save their takeaways wherever possible to prevent further damage to the planet.

TOP FIVE TAKEAWAYS THAT BRITS LOVE TO SHARE
Chinese
Italian
Indian
Fish & Chips
American e.g. burger, fried chicken