A year ago it would have been hard to imagine a room full of people all in passionate agreement that reducing food waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time.

It was obvious, as I looked out on a sea of faces at the launch of WRAP’s 'The food we waste' report, that the audience found the sheer scale of the figures in our new research mind boggling - we throw away 5,500 chickens a day, yes, a DAY, still pristine in their packaging.

But it also struck me that the issue we have helped spotlight through our Love Food Hate Waste campaign has touched the spirit of the age. We care about doing more to help our environment, but we also care about the cost of rising prices. Cutting food waste is a way of tackling both issues. 

What is more, there is nowhere to hide because we are all responsible. Even those of us who recycle and  think we are doing all we can are apparently not guilt-free. There is remarkable consistency across age, race, gender, and socio-economic group.  We all waste food we could have eaten, whether we admit it or not.

The launch, which attracted retailers, experts from the waste industry, local authorities and many more, was inspiring. There was a united front of real amazement as the figures were read out and an equally united commitment to tackle the problem.  From now on, I will be paying even closer attention to the storage advice on food packaging. Through our campaign I want to help make it as easy as possible for consumers to do the thing we all want to do - reduce our food waste.  I hope that the  practical advice on the Love Food Hate Waste site will help give ideas of things we can all consider doing.