Root Zero

Spectacular Spuds

Did you know the food system contributes up to 30% of global greenhouse emissions?

Four in five (81%) of us are concerned about climate change. But only 32% currently see a clear link between this and food going to waste. We find it easier to see a link with flying, recycling and driving less
WRAP 2020

Food waste contributes to climate change by wasting energy, and the resources it takes to produce it. That’s why we are strengthening the link between food waste and climate change by educating our younger generation.

If we all take steps in our everyday lives to reduce food waste, we can reduce our carbon footprint and make a real difference together.

Protect our Potatoes!

We are passionate about putting a stop to needless food waste and want to do everything we can to help keep our spectacular spuds out of our bins.

One-third of the UK population, 23 million of us, rarely eat food past the Best Before date. 4.4 million potatoes are thrown away every day ☹ as a result. The most wasted food in the UK.

So, we’ve created potato top tips to give you some inspiration and help tackle food waste in the home!


Potato skins are completely edible, full of flavour and a good source of fibre - so eating the skins is good for you and helps you avoid food waste.

Food waste is a huge problem here in the UK. We waste 4.5 million tonnes of edible food every year according to Love Food Hate Waste - enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins! Using as much of the food you buy as possible is good for the planet and good for your pocket - the average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste

Here’s some more of our best top potato tips to tackle that waste:

Potatoes love it underground

The best way to store them is in a cool, dark place. They’ll last longer and keep fresher that way.

Spotted the trend for skin-on fries?

Keeping the skins on creates extra flavour and texture - try in next time you’re making chips, wedges or roasties. It even makes more of your mash.

Peeling’s a pain

Keep the skins on and save yourself the time and effort!

Home-made crisps

But if you’d prefer to peel, keep the skins - bake them in a hot oven to make home-made crisps

Freeze em'

Did you know you can freeze cooked potatoes? Roast frozen boiled potatoes straight from the freezer or keep leftover mash for pies, pastries or pancakes.

Spuds sprouting?

Not a problem, just cut out any sprouting or soft bits and use the rest of the potato

THEY’VE GOT HISTORY!

7,000 years’ worth to be exact. The humble potato has contributed to the human diet for thousands of years, first in the Andes of South America and are now grown across 80% of the world!

SUPERERIOR SPUDS

They contribute key nutrients to your diet including vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fibre and contain a variety of phytonutrients including carotenoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids.

SOOO SATISFYING!

They make you fuller much faster than other carbs like rice or pasta because they have a low Glycaemic Index, compared to the equal number of calories from rice or pasta.

SUSTAINABLE SPUDS

Spuds can be grown almost anywhere, need less water to grow and use less land per kg of production compared to most other foods. One tonne of potatoes requires only 0.06 ha of land, while rice and wheat require 0.24 and 0.35 ha of land. In other words, potatoes have a much lower carbon footprint and are one of the world’s most sustainable foods!

POTATO POWER!!

Originally, the Incas had many other uses for the potato besides consumption. Raw slices were placed on broken bones to promote healing. Potatoes were carried around to prevent rheumatism and also eaten with other foods to prevent other diseases. Other folk remedies consisted of washing the face with cool potato juice to treat facial frostbites. Sunburns were treated by applying raw grated potato or potato juice on the skin. Carrying a potato in the pocket helped toothaches. Sore throats were treated by putting a slice of baked potato in a stocking and tying another around the throat.

Potatoes can grow from sea level up to 4,700 meters above sea level, from southern Chile all the way up to Greenland!

RANDOM POTATO FACT

Potatoes have been grown in space!!