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Turn the fridge down, save millions

Experts have said that families could save a staggering £200million a year by turning the temperature down on their refrigerator by just three degrees.

Reports suggest that households could save large amounts of money by making simple changes.
 

Judith Evans and Tim Brown run a company called RD&T and are also academic researchers here at LSBU. The research was carried out through RD&T and the findings have proven very interesting, so much so their work has been featured in a Daily Mail article.

The findings of the research were commissioned and published by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), a not-for-profit company established in 2000. WRAP’s vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably. Working in partnership to help businesses, individuals and communities improve resource efficiency.

4.4 million tonnes of avoidable household waste is thrown away each year, the largest contributor being food that requires or benefits from refrigeration. WRAP’s research estimated that 800,000 tonnes of this waste was thrown away because it was ‘not used in time.’ Brown and Evans found that domestic fridges were being kept at an average of 6.6˚C instead of the recommended 5˚C or cooler. This, combined with only 60% of people freezing unopened packages of food a few days after purchase, contributes massively to the huge amount of waste thrown away each year.

From the research, a number of strategies are recommended to reduce the amount of waste:

  • Provide clear storage guidance to ensure the right products are stored within the fridge

  • Use wording such as “keep below 5˚C” on temperature sensitive products.

  • Continue the move away from “freeze on day of purchase” labelling. WRAP have an information sheet with further information on freezing guidelines.
     
  • Improve fridge design e.g. built in thermometers and external temperature displays. 

To put this research into perspective, the report states: “Some foods (e.g. apples and carrots) which benefit from chilled storage are not always kept in the fridge. If these were refrigerated in the home, the potential annual UK waste savings were estimated to be worth £120 million and associated with 308,000 tonnes of CO2eemissions. Even at the more energy intensive 4°C, the extra energy required to refrigerate such foods was only estimated to have an annual UK cost of £10 million and associated emissions of 47,000 tonnes CO2e. Both financially and environmentally the savings far outweigh the energy penalty.”

Find out more about RD&T, the faculty of Engineering, Science and The Built Environment and Love Food Hate Waste, one of WRAP’s waste reduction initiatives.