The amount of food wasted in UK households remains a huge problem. Research shows that the average family throws away roughly £60 worth of food every month, which equates to £720 per year. With the current cost of living crisis, saving our food is more necessary than ever. Every bit of wasted food also has an environmental impact – transport, fuel, water, energy – it all adds up.

This year, we will be sending participants a food waste diary to complete throughout November, along with 2-3 emails each week full of tips and tricks to reduce your food waste. If you complete both the pre-challenge and post-challenge surveys, you will also be in with a chance to win a food blender to help you further in your mission to reduce food waste. If you’d like to read more about the challenge, visit the challenge web page here.

If you’re interested in taking part, simply reply to this email to express your interest, or email recycle@dacorum.gov.uk

Secondly, we have a great volunteering team called ‘Dacorum Street Champions’. Once registered, Street Champions receive their own litter-picking kit which they can use whenever and wherever they like to help keep Dacorum clean and tidy. More information about this volunteering scheme can be found on our website here.

If you would prefer to organise one-off litter picking events for your whole congregation to participate in, we would be very happy to provide you with litter-picking equipment for you to loan.

On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 October, we will be hosting a series of Clothes Swap events. Clothes swaps are a great way to update your wardrobe with no cost to you or the environment. Bring along your unwanted, good-quality adult clothing to The Forum in Hemel Hempstead during one of the drop-off periods. You can then come back and refresh your wardrobe free of charge with new-to-you items during the swap times. 

You can find more information about these events on our website here.