Reduce food miles, waste and packaging

Gardener with onions in the kitchen garden at Knightshayes Court, Tiverton, Devon

We can reduce the environmental impact of what we eat by growing our own fruit and veg. If you don’t have your own back garden, you could try growing on a windowsill. Or do your bit by buying produce that’s in season and looking for package-free options.

Our lives revolve around food, but where does it all come from? Do we know the real cost food has on the environment? With an ever-growing population and a rising demand for variety and convenience, food has become one of the largest contributors to climate change. UK food waste charity WRAP estimated annual food waste in 2018 created over 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, 85 per cent of which came from UK households and food manufacturing. 

You can help to reduce your impact in lots of ways, from choosing to go plastic free, to buying locally-sourced food, or even growing your own seasonal fruit and veg at home. Why not get the whole family stuck in with some tasty recipes using home-grown ingredients or locally sourced produce?

Read more below about the simple steps you can take to achieve a more sustainable approach to food.

  Make your promise for nature
Garden volunteer picking gourds in the Walled Garden at Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire

Grow your own 

To reduce your impact on the environment from food waste, we've got some great ways for you to use your produce and tips to get the best from your ingredients.

Pink Bottles of washing detergent wash up on Poldhu

Five ways you can join us in the fight against plastic 

Do you want to help protect the places you love from plastic pollution? It's not too late to join the revolution. We've made positive changes to reduce plastic waste and so can you. Read these five plastic-busting tips and get inspired.

What's in season during autumn

Vegetables to harvest or buy

  • Beetroot
  • Cabbage
  • Celeriac
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Chard
  • Jerusalem artichokes
  • Kale
  • Kohl rabi
  • Leeks
  • Onions and shallots
  • Pak choi
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes (maincrop)
  • Rocket
  • Spinach
  • Swede and turnip
  • Winter squash and pumpkins

Fruit to harvest or buy

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Quince
  • Autumn-fruiting raspberries 

Growing food to work with nature

Freshly picked produce in a wheelbarrow in the Kitchen Garden at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk.

Seasonal food and growing 

We've put together a month-by-month guide to help you transform your garden or allotment. Home-grown food is something that we've been championing for quite some time, so read on to find out when it's best to grow your own favourite fruit and vegetables.

Child planting seeds in a pot

Help a plant grow 

Helping a plant grow could be the first step to your very own seasonal fruit and veg patch, from strawberries and peas to all kinds of herbs like basil and thyme. It's also one of the 50 things to do before you're 11¾.

Squash, balsamic onions and walnut bruschetta

Recipes to season up your plate 

There are some great recipes to prove that seasonal veg can go a long way. Make something tasty for your loved ones and reduce your food miles with some of our favourite seasonal recipes, including something for vegetarians and vegans.

Gull chicks, Farne Islands, Northumberland

Why stop there? 

With a whole year packed full of ideas and inspiration to help you on your way, you don't have to stick to just one promise.

Find more ways to help nature