Five Rutland families are to take part in an experiment to reduce food waste- a trial that will be documented on video and shown online.

The initiative is from the Rutland Youth Council, which is urging Rutlanders to reduce household food waste and take action and save money.

The initiative, starting in February, will see the five families take part in food waste reduction activities.

They will also test everyday practical tips and techniques that will reduce levels of food wastage and also save them money.

Their experiences will also be documented on video and shared on social media.

Wasting food is damaging both to the environment and people's pockets. This is why the Rutland Youth Council (RYC) have chosen Household Food Waste as the focus of their community campaign in 2021.

The young people will be running a programme of awareness-raising events through 2021.

In the experiment, the five families will learn how to reduce their food waste and save money.

For a few weeks, they will follow suggestions of how not to waste food and the RYC team will collect information about how they got on.

The families will record their experiences on video and share them on social media so that everyone can see what they learned and how they got on.

Anyone can join in the campaign by contributing to the RYC survey, which aims to understand how residents of Rutland handle their food waste.

Residents can follow the campaign from February to April for tips and techniques of practical things to do to reduce wasted food and shopping bills.

For example: the most common products thrown away are milk, bread, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas and poultry - which for the average Rutland family is worth around £700 per year or almost £14 a week.

By making small practical changes such as buying fewer groceries, storing them correctly and utilising leftovers sufficiently, local families can save both their money and reduce the environmental impact of growing food only to throw it away.

The RYC are not alone in recognising the importance of reducing food waste.

The first Food Waste Action Week is 1st to 7th March 2021, and Rutland's young people will be doing their best to join in and deliver one clear message: "Wasting food and climate change are linked. Now is the time for us to take action!"

Coun Lucy Stephenson, Rutland County Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure said: "I am delighted to hear of the RYC's work on this: wasting food is something that we can all do something about with benefits not just for the environment but also on our pockets! "

Heather Kelly, Chair of Rutland Youth Council, said: "RYC consider the climate emergency as the defining issue of our lifetimes. Our "Taste It, Don't Waste It!" campaign is relevant to all households.

"By recording and promoting the experiences of the families involved, we aim to inspire the population of Rutland to take their own steps towards embedding simple techniques into their everyday routines and wasting less food. We firmly believe that small changes can bring high rewards if we all work together."

The Rutland Youth Council is an elected group of young people from Rutland aged between 11 and 19. Young people under 25 having special needs and disabilities are also involved.

Elections are organised through local schools every two years and although independent, they are supported formally in their operations by Rutland County Council.

RYC's role is to help the county's young people feel that they have a voice and influence in their local and national communities by representing their peers in conversations with Rutland County Council Cabinet Members and other local and national organisations.

In a recent ballot of 3,859 young people in Rutland on 10 important issues, 1,036 of whom identified 'Protect the Environment' as their top priority.

For this reason RYC's 2021 campaign is focused on food waste and environmental issues.

The youth council can be found at @Rutlandyouthcouncil on Instagram, @YouthRutland on Twitter and on Facebook as Rutland Youth Council.

For further information contact.

Rutland Youth Council Supporting Officer, Steph Logue on 07500051016 [email protected]

Or email the RYC directly at [email protected]