A NEW campaign to reduce food waste in the home could help the average Wyre Forest family save £420 a year, according to Worcestershire County Council.

Food Champions will be sent to households across the county offering tips and advice on ways to cut the amount of food thrown away.

The Food Champions will be chatting face-to-face with residents and encouraging them to take simple actions that can reduce the amount of food their household disposes of and help them save money.

They say small changes can lead to big environmental improvements for Worcestershire by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

The county council's Food Champions will be full of information on home composting, date label meanings, portioning guidance, storage tips and handy recipes for leftovers.

The door stepping campaign will start on January 12 and will run for eight weeks. The Food Champions aim to reach over 24,500 households in Worcestershire and also Herefordshire.

The Love Food Hate Waste website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com is full of handy tips to help residents on their way to wasting less food.

Conservative councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member for the environment, said: "In the UK we throw away a staggering third of the food we buy - most of which could be eaten.

To find out more information about other waste prevention initiatives log on to http://www.wastemissionimpossible.org.uk or call 01905 766883.