One in three bags of shopping is dumped in the bin. That could be one bag a week for many. It could be twice that for some.
That is the extent of food wastage by Britons, according to research by the government-backed Waste and Resources Action Plan. Meanwhile, food shortages are rife across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Some countries have banned exports of staple foods like rice. Others are considering it.
Much of our wastefulness, and the availability we take for granted, is contributing to climate change – be it methane from landfill sites brimming with unused food, room or standby lights left on or patio heaters warming fresh air.
Major weather events are predicted to increase because of climate change and, while climate change has not yet been blamed for the cyclone in Burma, the death toll from it is a stark reminder that we don't have the right to waste as we do.
We have a duty to do our bit to slow climate change and we in the affluent west have more of an obligation than poorer countries where the impacts of climate change are being felt first.
Many average households will not notice the £420 spent annually on binned food. Shoppers told The Independent yesterday that they wasted food without noticing, that they can’t help it because they live on their own.
These are poor excuses to those so used to going without and in the firing line as the planet warms up.
Read more about WRAP's findings here