Share of food types uneaten and thrown away in the UK 2018-2020
On average, 24 percent of bread, milk, chicken and potatoes bought by customers in the UK ended up being uneaten or thrown out in November 2019. This figure fell to 13.7 percent during peak lockdowns caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus. With people less likely to visit supermarkets, consumers became more likely to use up their food resources. However, as lockdowns began to ease, food waste increased slightly, but remained lower than levels observed pre-lockdown.
