Almost three quarters (73%) of UK families are trying to reduce the amount of food they waste in a bid to live more sustainably, new research from M&S shows.
In its April 2023 Family Matters Index, the retailer found that shoppers are becoming more environmentally conscious when considering their diets, with 35% having made changes in the food they buy to try and take account for climate change.
Just over a quarter (28%) are eating less meat because of climate change and 13% said they switched to a vegan or vegetarian diet to reduce their impact on the environment.
However, while 70% of households wanted shops and supermarkets to provide clearer information about the origins and environmental impact of products in November 2021, this has since dropped to 62% as of this year.
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Less people are also concerned if the shops they buy from are making their products as environmentally sustainable as possible, with 57% finding this important in August 2021, compared with 51% in January 2023.
Despite this, four in ten said they were happy to pay more for Fairtrade products that guarantee a fair price for farmers globally and 45% find it important that the shops they buy from sell these products.
According to M&S, families are also concerned about the cost of food, with 61% having reduced or stopped spending on eating out since the beginning of the year.
However, this trend is more common among younger people, affecting two thirds of 18 to 34 year olds in comparison to 54% of over 55s.
Over seven in ten families with children under 18 are also ordering fewer takeaways and three quarters are making more meals from scratch.
