Birmingham residents could pay for extra holiday per year by freezing these items

A new study by leading electricals retailer AO.com shows residents in the city waste 9.83% of their food shop, or £79.07 per month, equating to an eye-watering £948.84 every year.

That’s enough for an all-inclusive week-long holiday in Marbella for two, with Birmingham residents clearly struggling to eat food before it goes out of date.

According to the study by fridge retailer AO, essential groceries such as bread, vegetables and fruit - all of which can be frozen - were listed as the most likely items to end up in the bin.

Sarah Heaps, food storage expert at AO.com, said: “It’s alarming to see the sheer amount of wastage generated by Birmingham residents, particularly amid a cost of living crisis.

“Binning £950 worth of food annually, which equates to the cost of a holiday, really puts things into perspective – can families really afford to continue living that way?

"Our study highlights that many of the frequently discarded items, like bread, vegetables, and fruit, can easily be frozen to extend their shelf life. By portioning out food and using freezing techniques, Birmingham households can significantly reduce waste and save money.

“Embracing smarter food storage solutions and technology is essential in helping us all live more sustainably."

Birmingham scored highly in the list of 17 major UK cities for amount of food wasted, finishing third only behind Manchester and London, whose figures were £1,119.32 and £1,079.75 respectively.

The figures far exceeded Brighton residents, who waste just £558.41 worth of food every year.

The survey also revealed how much Birmingham residents spend on groceries per week – with the figure coming out at £178.68 per household of two adults - £804.13 per month. That figure exceeded cities like Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh and Newcastle, however was less than Manchester and London, where residents spend £853.47 and £837.99 respectively.

Sarah Heaps added: “The findings in our survey underscore the importance of better food management practices families can adopt – to combat waste and boost sustainability in Birmingham and beyond.”