Suffolk is throwing away more than 50,000 tonnes of potentially good food each year and a competition has been launched to inspire families to change their food habits.
According to Suffolk County Council, the average household in East Anglia wastes £810 of food every year, but new research is showing a change in behaviour due to the coronavirus crisis.
Suffolk Waste Partnership, Norfolk County Council and environmental charity Hubbub have come together to create Food Savvy, a partnership devoted to creating positive food related behaviour.
Hubbub has reported positive shifts recently as many families are cooking from scratch and eating together under lockdown restrictions.
The Delicious Drawings competition has been launched by Food Savvy in collaboration with the East of England Co-op, inviting primary school aged children in Suffolk to draw a picture which shows how you can stop good food from ending up in the bin.
The competition aims to get families talking about the value of food and give children the opportunity to inspire others about food waste.
Peter Stevens, chairman of the Suffolk Waste Partnership, said: “Delicious Drawings is a wonderful way for children to learn about the importance and value of food.
“Each year in Suffolk we are throwing away over 50,000 tonnes of potentially good food.
“That’s a horrible waste, especially during these challenging times, so hopefully this fun competition will help families get creative and save money.”
The lucky winners, chosen by the East of England Co-op community team will receive children’s cooking kits with £100 of Co-op vouchers for ingredients, while two runners up have the chance to win £25 worth of Co-op vouchers.
All of the winning artwork to be proudly displayed in Co-op stores and a selection of the best entries will be available to view in a gallery online.
The deadline for the competition is Friday June 20 and the lucky winners will be announced on July 20.
To enter, photos or scans of the drawings must be emailed in with the artist’s name, age, town and school they attend.
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