This week we’re celebrating Food Waste Action Week, and we wanted to take this opportunity to share some brilliant tips for reducing food waste, and to celebrate some of the brilliant activities happening across Oxfordshire.   With the 2025 theme, “Choose What You’ll Use,” the focus is on encouraging more people to buy loose fruit and vegetables, making food choices that are both sustainable and practical. 

Food waste isn’t just a waste of money; it’s a waste of resources, time, and energy. Every step of food production, from farming to transportation, has an environmental impact, and when food goes uneaten, so does all the effort that went into producing it. By making conscious choices, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future while enjoying delicious, nutritious meals. 

We’re lucky to have some incredible local organisations offering practical advice, workshops, and initiatives to help us all waste less and enjoy more. Here are a few to check out: 

• Replenish have some excellent tips for reducing waste, including getting familiar with the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates. Another great tip is learning ways in which to use up peelings, stems and tops so you’re not wasting any of the fruit or veg. We loved these tips for how to make the most of your fruit and veg and these recipes for using up ingredients you might have at home.  

• Cherwell Collective have some great tips on eating a climatarian diet, including how to reduce food waste, and tips for composting.  

• Oxford Food Hub have some resources on reducing food waste, and a helpful film to show the process food goes through to get to our plate.  

• Oxford City Farm have a family friendly wormery and composting workshop on Saturday 22 March.  

• For anyone looking for catering, Waste2Taste offer catering using surplus ingredients. 

• And finally, do have a look at GFO’s community map to find your local food larder or fridge, and have a look at our cooking toolkit for some inspiration on how to use up ingredients you might have at home, to form a nutritious, delicious meal.  

Let’s make Food Waste Action Week 2025 count! By choosing what we’ll use, we can all play a part in reducing food waste and making a positive impact on the planet. What changes will you make this week? Share your top food-saving tips with us!