Love Whitlingham, hate food waste! 🍌🍎

Did you know that this week beginning 17th March is Food Waste Action Week?

We all know that wasting food is bad for lots of reasons.

At Whitlingham Country Park, we have environmental impact at the forefront of all that we do, and have recently taken steps to improve our waste impact further.

Meet our new composting system!

Ridan Pro composter at Whitlingham Country Park

The Ridan Pro system includes a large cylinder which has a corkscrew mechanism inside.

1. Food waste enters the system at one end, adding nitrogen.

   
   

2. A handle is turned once per day to rotate and aerate the contents through the system, adding air.

   
   

3. Sawdust or wood shavings are also added to the mix, providing carbon.

The material collected at the other end is then matured in special storage bins to develop into useable compost. The process happens more quickly than traditional composting, due to the special design of the system... and it uses zero power!

We are grateful to have received generous funding from Aviva and the Aylsham Show charity to purchase this fantastic composting system for the park.

How does the Flint Barn Cafe deal with food waste?

Our on-site Flint Barn Cafe team aim to minimise food waste by creating clever menu choices. Any waste food left by customers can also be recycled into compost for use around the country park.

Who else contributes to the composting effort?

Did you know that the Equal Brewkery run their nano brewery right here at Whitlingham Country Park? Their brewing waste can also be processed by our new composter. Amazing!

How will you do your bit?

Now you've heard what we are up to at Whitlingham, how will you cut down on your food waste at home?

Here are 3 top tips to get you started:

1. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Buying extras on impulse is a recipe for waste.

   
   

2. Plan your meals. By carefully planning out your week, you will only buy what you need for those meals.

   
   

3. Don't buy too much fruit. We all know fruit quickly goes past its best. Ask yourself, will you really eat that huge bunch of bananas or will most of them end up in the bin? Buying individual items rather than a larger bag could help you reduce waste.

Find out more about how you can reduce your food waste at the Love Food Hate Waste website.