Every year, Food Waste Action Week, led by Love Food Hate Waste, brings together retailers, brands, charities, and citizens to take meaningful action on reducing household food waste. For 2026, the theme is “Make Your Food Go Fuuuurther” – shining a light on the simple steps we can all take to save money, protect the planet, and get the most out of the food we love.
Why Food Waste Matters
Food waste remains one of the biggest environmental challenges we face. In UK homes alone, around 4.4 million tonnes of edible food are thrown away each year (enough to fill nearly 8,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools). And because producing, transporting, storing, and cooking food uses resources, food waste is responsible for an estimated 25 million tonnes of CO₂e annually.
Beyond its environmental impact, food waste costs the average UK household around £60 a month. Making our food go further really does make a difference for our wallets, our wellbeing, and the planet.
Iceland’s Commitment to Cutting Waste
At Iceland, reducing food waste has always been part of our commitment to Doing It Right. We know that clear information, smart choices, and easy guidance help our customers waste less.
Recently, we added fridge life labelling across some ranges of products to provide clear guidance on how long the food will remain safe and high quality in the refrigerator, helping you use products confidently and avoid unnecessary waste. We’re also constantly expanding our frozen range – because freezing food at home and choosing frozen products are two of the most effective ways to reduce waste.
Food Waste Action Week gives us a chance to highlight why this matters and to empower customers with small, practical changes that have a big impact.
Small Actions That Help Your Food Go Fuuuurther
Here are four simple tips to help reduce waste at home:
- Plan your meals: A quick weekly meal plan helps avoid overbuying and makes the most of what you already have.
- Freeze more: Freezing extends shelf life without affecting taste – from bread and milk to fruit, meat and leftovers.
- Check portion sizes: Cooking just the right amount helps reduce what gets scraped into the bin. (Love Food Hate Waste has a helpful portion planner Food Portion Calculator | Love Food Hate Waste !)
- Use up your leftovers: Turn yesterday’s food into tomorrow’s lunch. It saves time, money, and creative energy.
Need more inspiration? Explore delicious and easy leftover recipes from Love Food Hate Waste and Iceland kitchen here:
Food Waste Recipes | Foods & Recipes | LFHW
Hunter’s Chicken Bread & Butter Pudding – Iceland – Doing it Right
Daily Themes during Food Waste Action Week: Motivations for Making Food Go Further
Throughout the week, Love Food Hate Waste will shine a spotlight on five motivations that matter to all of us:
- Monday: For your money – Because wasting food = wasting cash.
- Tuesday: For your time – Smarter planning saves hours every week.
- Wednesday: For our planet – Reducing waste cuts carbon emissions.
- Thursday: For your health – Fresh, planned, and balanced eating.
- Friday: For your headspace – Less clutter, less stress.
