#WIN a Vektra Vacuum Eco Kettle #ZeroWasteWeek

how much tea do we waste in the ukI’ve been learning some amazing facts for Zero Waste Week which runs 5-9th September.

The theme this year is reducing food waste, which is a topic close to my heart.

What if I were to suggest that when you came home from doing your weekly shop, you threw one third of the food you’d bought straight into the bin?

Sounds crazy, right?

Well, that’s what many households are doing, without even realising!

AND, one third of the food grown on this planet never reaches a human stomach.

Something’s not adding up when we’re told we’re going to struggle to feed people in the future!

Maybe we need to think about wasting less and redistribution of food…

I’ve learned it’s not just food we’re wasting.

We’re wasting drinks too.

And as tea is our nation’s favourite, I was shocked to learn we’re throwing away £110m of tea per year.

That’s not very British, is it?

how much tea do we waste in the uk

Not only that, but the average household boils the kettle 1500 times per year and the Energy Saving Trust has found that three-quarters of British households overfill their kettles, wasting a total of £68m each year.

So here’s a simple pledge for Zero Waste Week – why not take care to only boil the amount of water you need AND take five minutes a day to kick back, relax and actually enjoy your favourite cup of tea before it goes cold?

Win a Vektra Vacuum Eco Kettle

I’m going to make it easier for you with your chance to win a fantastic Vektra Vacuum Eco Kettle which has generously been provided by the team at Boiler Guide. It’s ingenious design combines kettle and vacuum flask technology to boil water efficiently then keep it hot for up to four hours.

Simply enter the rafflecopter below and I’ll choose someone at random on Friday evening next week. PLEASE NOTE – this is only open to UK residents.

win a vekra eco kettle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

189 Comments

  1. cheryl hadfield on September 8, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    Never put hood food in the fridge, it messes up the temperature in the fridge which uses more electricity to regain the correct temperature



  2. Sarah Parker on September 8, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    turn off lights 🙂



  3. Jane Middleton on September 8, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Turn off all appliances and sockets when not in use



  4. Sarah Ann on September 8, 2016 at 10:24 pm

    Switch off sockets/lights when you aren’t using them.



  5. Tracey S Anderson on September 9, 2016 at 3:26 am

    Set your computer to sleep or hibernate mode instead of using a screen saver so it uses less electricity during periods of inactivity.



  6. Sue Lowe on September 9, 2016 at 6:17 am

    We have an Eat-Up day to empty the fridge every few days : enormous fun and new meal combinations emerge !!



  7. Sarah Lewis on September 9, 2016 at 7:23 am

    If you end up boiling too much water put the rest in a flask for your next cuppa!



  8. Farhana on September 9, 2016 at 7:59 am

    Draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can save energy



  9. Cathy O on September 9, 2016 at 8:32 am

    Educate your children on energy saving – will help us all and our future.



  10. Stuart Dunlop on September 9, 2016 at 8:53 am

    Always put enough water in your kettle for just what you need.



  11. Karen Harrison on September 9, 2016 at 9:03 am

    Use a standby device to switch off all your appliances.



  12. paula cheadle on September 9, 2016 at 11:48 am

    switch off anything that you are not using



  13. Angela Webster on September 9, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Make sure your home is well insulated in the winter and ventilated in the Summer.



  14. Melissa Lee on September 9, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Lights off every time you go out of a room – makes a huge difference



  15. Donata on September 9, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    use energy saving light bulbs



  16. Hong on September 9, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    LED lights have come a long way over the past few years, more efficient, more choice (fittings, size, colour etc) & prices have come down a lot. It’s well worth changing over from incandescent or CFLs to save energy and/or to get a better quality of light.



  17. Alisa Moore on September 9, 2016 at 1:43 pm

    Turn the tap off whilst brushing one’s teeth



  18. Nikki on September 9, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    Don’t be afraid of growing as much of your own food as you can, whether you live in a house with gardens or a city flat. There is nothing more delightful & satisfying as eating home grown veggies & herbs, and you need only pick/harvest as much as required. Any excess can be preserved in all sorts of creative ways. Fresh, money-saving & healthy! It’ll certainly reduce any wasteful food habits.



  19. Nikki on September 9, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    @Sarah Lewis: @Sarah Lewis: we always do this too!



  20. Jenny Prest on September 9, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    Always turn lights of when not using and turn things of at the plug when not using.



  21. Kirsti Peters on September 9, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    My top tips are:
    Never fill your kettle up, only boil what you need
    Heat your home while you cook, leave the oven door open after you have finished so that it heats your house a little.
    Put on extra clothes instead of turning heating on.
    Do your laundry in cold water…it is just as good
    Keep your fridge and freezers full, as they have to work harder when empty



  22. Cerys John on September 9, 2016 at 4:36 pm

    Turn off all lights at night and make sure they’re off when everyone’s out



  23. michaela atkins on September 9, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    dont leave the radio or tv on for the dog while your out



  24. Mia Jade Fergusson on September 9, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    When making a hot drink using the mugs / cups you plan to use, fill them up and pour them into the kettle, plus quarter of a mug / cup extra to allow for evaporation, this way you’re only boiling what you need therefore saving both water and energy.



  25. jackie beckett on September 9, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    Turn off the television if you are not really watching it its surprising how many people have their tvs on and they are on their computors, reading or doing some other activity and its just a waste of electric



  26. Deborah Mackenzie on September 9, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    turn your hot water setting down a notch and do not leave the tap running when doing dishes



  27. Nicole S. on September 9, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    Turning off lights after leaving the room. My daughter goes from room to room and all the lights end up being on at once!



  28. Pauline Burroughs on September 9, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    If you’re not using it switch it off! Lights, computer, tv, infact anything. You may only save a little bit each day but over a year it’s quite a lot.



  29. Emma on September 9, 2016 at 7:04 pm

    Turn lights, TV etc off when you leave a room



  30. Sarah Robinson on September 9, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth.



  31. sandy ralph on September 9, 2016 at 7:29 pm

    use energy saving bulbs and dont leave thing son standby turn them off properly



  32. Kim Neville on September 9, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    Don’t leave things on standby. Switch off



  33. Julie Camm on September 9, 2016 at 8:15 pm

    Always turn lights off and turn heating down a notch or two.



  34. Oksana Fitzgerald on September 9, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    use energy saving light bulbs



  35. Jean Leeson on September 9, 2016 at 8:36 pm

    Unplug EVERYTHING you dont use at night time.



  36. Diana on September 9, 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Turn the light off everytime you leave the room 🙂



  37. Vicky Robinson on September 9, 2016 at 9:29 pm

    We try not to use the central heating for as long as we can and wrap up in warm jumpers or blankets instead. We also keep the thermostat low at 17-18C to save energy in the Winter when we do have to turn the heating on.
    Also we turn everything off at night to save energy.



  38. Ruth Wollerton on September 9, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    Walk everywhere you can to save on petrol costs, petrol emissions and to feel fitter and healthier



  39. George Wright on September 9, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    Set an alarm to remind you that your phone will have finished charging so you can unplug it! Saves energy, is better for your phone and safer too!