Food waste is a significant problem in the UK, with around 15% of edible food thrown away each year (National Statistics, 2011), costing directly to the average. consumer £480 per year (WRAP, 2011). The 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign, run on behalf of the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), explains that wasting food is both damaging to our finances and incredibly unsustainable for the environment; contributing unnecessarily to energy and water consumption in production, transport and storage (LFHW[1], 2011). This has negative multiplier effects, including increased deforestation and land degradation (Forkes, 2007, cited in Mena, Adenso-Diab, Yurt, 2010). The 7.2 million tonnes of food wasted each year (LFHW[1], 2011) also contributes to a third of the UK's annual CO2 emissions. If this waste were eliminated, the savings in CO2 emissions would be equivalent to removing one in five vehicles from the roads (Cabinet Office, 2008). This short essay will detail some measures that have been suggested to reduce food waste among different stakeholders including producers and suppliers, retailers and the household sector. Mena, Adenso-Diab, and Yurt (2010) explored the root causes of food waste worldwide. supply and retail sectors and concluded that the main driver of food waste was the natural characteristics of the product (shelf life, temperature regime, etc.) when combined with market trends . The increasing demand for fresh produce and naturally seasonally unavailable foods correlates with the highest levels of waste, as these products tend to have a very short shelf life but are increasingly popular. Additionally, other consumer behaviors that have influenced the extent of food waste include......middle of article......od-pocketbook-2011-120216.pdf> Accessed 21/ 02/12National Health Service, 2011, “Food labeling terms - Living well - NHS Choices” Accessed 02/21/12Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Agriculture (UN), 2011, 'Global food loss and waste: Extent, Causes and Prevention' FAO, pp v Accessed 02/21/12Waste and Resource Action Program (WRAP), 2011, Handy Facts and Figures: UK Retail and Hospitality/Foodservice Accessed 02/21/12Waste2 Environmental Solutions, 2011, ' Supermarket food waste consulted 21/02/12