Food Waste: How to Reduce It in Your Cottage Stay and Beyond

When you think of food waste, the uneaten food that ends up in landfills instead of being eaten or composted. Also known as edible food loss, it’s not just a kitchen problem—it’s a global issue that affects your wallet, your planet, and even the cost of your next cottage rental. Roughly one-third of all food produced worldwide gets thrown away. In the UK alone, households toss out over 6 million tonnes of food each year. That’s not just money down the drain—it’s wasted water, energy, and greenhouse gases from farms, trucks, and landfills.

Here’s the thing: eco-friendly cottages, homes designed to minimize environmental impact through sustainable materials, energy use, and waste practices. Also known as green homes, they’re not just about solar panels and insulation. They’re about how you live inside them. If you’re renting a cozy cottage in the Lake District or a seaside retreat in Cornwall, you’re already in a place that values nature. Why not extend that respect to your food? Simple habits—like planning meals ahead, storing leftovers properly, or turning scraps into broth—can slash your food waste by half. And guess what? It saves you money too.

Many of the cottages we feature are built with sustainable living, a lifestyle focused on reducing environmental harm through conscious choices in energy, materials, and daily habits. Also known as low-impact living, it’s not about perfection—it’s about progress. That means compost bins in the garden, reusable containers in the pantry, and recipes that use up what’s left over. You don’t need fancy gear. Just a little awareness. A carrot top? Make pesto. Stale bread? Turn it into croutons. Overripe bananas? Bake them. These aren’t survival tricks—they’re smart, easy moves that fit right into a weekend away.

And it’s not just about what you do at the cottage. When you start reducing food waste on vacation, it sticks. You bring those habits home. You notice how much you throw away in your own kitchen. You start buying less, cooking smarter, and valuing what you have. That ripple effect matters. It adds up.

In the posts below, you’ll find real examples of how people are cutting food waste in their cottage stays—whether it’s through zero-waste meal prep, using local produce from farmers' markets, or turning kitchen scraps into compost for the garden. Some of these tips come from families who live off-grid. Others are from travelers who just wanted to do better. No lectures. No guilt. Just practical, doable ideas that fit into your rhythm—whether you’re there for a night or a month.