Lesley minds her left-overs

Wrexham's Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths is encouraging her constituents to reduce the amount of food they throw away as well as saving money in the process.

The AM was commenting after she attended an event in Wrexham organised by the Co-operative Food Group which aims to reduce food waste by conducting a series of 'Watch your Waste' cookery demonstrations.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of issues surrounding food waste and in support of the re-cycling advisory group WRAP, with their 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign.

Over the next two months, the Co-operative will be offering members of the public across the UK, an opportunity to get some fast and easy tips on how best to use left overs and demonstrate healthy, easy recipes.

Around a third of all purchased food ends up been thrown in the bin, when most of it could have been eaten.

Reducing food waste is a major issue with good food going to waste costing the average family almost £500 per year without taking into account the serious environmental implications of disposing of that waste.

Commenting on her visit to the Co-operative event at Glyndwr University, Lesley Griffiths AM, said:

"The 'Watch your Waste' campaign is about persuading people to make the most of food and I was amazed at what can be achieved with left overs with just a bit of imagination.

"It is important that all of us try to cut down on the amount of food we waste each week. In this disposable age it can prove extremely difficult, however, with some basic tips it is possible to not only reduce the amount we throw away but also save some money in the process.

"The Co-operative are to be congratulated on bringing this campaign to Wrexham and I would encourage people to visit their website for tips, hints and some great recipes with left over food!"