Understanding household food waste in the UK: the Household Food Management Survey 2025

Key Findings

• Cost-of-living pressures continue:  More than one in five households report struggling “a lot” with bills, while 42% report managing comfortably. Food inflation has reached its highest level since February 2024, encouraging households to purchase the right amount of food, which may temporarily reduce self-reported waste.
• Food management behaviours have improved: Competence in judging and buying the right amount has returned to November 2023 levels, with bread showing the greatest improvement and potatoes remaining a key weakness.
• Self-reported waste of the four key products – bread, milk, chicken, and potatoes – has decreased, from 21% in 2024 to 18.8% in 2025. However, the proportion of respondents classified as high food wasters remains unchanged at 27%.
• High food wasters remain concentrated in certain groups: Younger age groups, households with young children, larger households, frequent shoppers, more displaced meal consumers, and those with lower competence in judging the right quantity to buy.
• Food waste “denial” persists: Eight in ten (80%) believe they waste less than the average household, rising to 85% after viewing imagery of typical UK food waste, while nearly two-thirds (64%) think some food waste is inevitable. Comfort with not using all purchased food has increased from 11% in 2024 to 18% in 2025.
• Displaced meals (meals eaten outside the home) are increasing in the UK: Compared to June 2024, the levels of eating high number of meals outside the home have increased from 18% to 25%.
• Pack sizes / formats and pricing: Buying food near its expiry at a reduced price is the most common behaviour, while smaller packs are less popular. 62% choose smaller packs for household size, 80% buy larger packs for perceived value. Support is strongest for fairer/proportional pricing and more loose fruit and vegetables. Unit pricing is inconsistently used, especially by those who would benefit most.
• Awareness of food waste collections is low: About 42% of households report having and using a food waste collection service, 14% have access but do not use it, and 38% do not have a service. Usage is higher in Wales and Northern Ireland, while in England 76% have not seen or heard information about the planned universal collections by 2026.
• Recall of food waste communications remains low: 44% of UK citizens report having seen or heard information about food that is thrown away or wasted in the past year. Awareness of guidance on how to plan, buy, store, or prepare food to help reduce waste is at 33%.

What needs to happen to reduce household food waste in the UK?

To reduce household food waste across the UK, action is needed at every level – from individual households to businesses and policymakers – focusing on the areas where it can have the greatest impact. This includes:

• Challenge food waste “denial”
• Target households with highest waste
• Align waste prevention with value and affordability
• Sustain improvements in food management skills
• Use food waste collections as prevention, not just disposal

Read the full findings and insights on household food waste and management in our latest report below.