Wastage of food DOES contribute to additional carbon and other pollution. Fertilizing, harvesting, packaging, and shipping the fruit all take energy. If a third of all the fruit is wasted, then a third of all the energy involved in production and transportation is also wasted. If people bought only the fruit they will actually consume and wasted less, then these ancillary sources of pollution would indeed decline.

It would be a fairly trivial decline. But this is only one of many, many areas in which modern lifestyles create enormous waste. A greater public effort to curtail waste in general could in the long run have a meaningful effect on carbon emissions and other pollution. If we as individuals paid attention to our actions, we might find all sorts of ways to reduce waste.

D.L. Anderson, Crossett, AR/U.S.A.

This is completely wrong because, if we did not buy these apples etc. the same amount of carbon dioxide would not be taken out of the atmosphere in growing them. On the other hand, if we ate all the apples, the carbon would ultimately end up in the same place.

Just think about it - where does all this 'additonal carbon' supposedly released into the atmosphere come from? Do we magically conjure it into existence by throwing away an apple?

Is there anyone left in authority with any respect for, or understanding of, science?

Frank Upton, Solihull,

Put the apples out in the garden, Blackbirds love them.

Wen, England,

Why don't more people use waste disposal units in their kitchens? You just attach it to your kitchen sink and it basically 'churns' up your waste, left over food stuff and washes it down the normal kitchen drain. Some councils provide a cash back scheme if you have one. It dramatically reduces your house hold rubbish, why aren't the government and councils promoting these devises, they're fantastic.
Kate, Surrey

Kate, Surrey,

BOGOF supermarket deals are much to blame here. My friends and I call it 'buy one to throw away later'. Restraining yourself to shopping for only the items you actually need helps enormously, but it's always hard to make the cashier understand that you don't want the 'free one' - which is not 'free', of course - some farmer has had his wholesale price driven down so that you could throw that bag of apples into the bin.

Margot, London, UK

As well as storing fruit properly, people should do more to use fruit which is less than 100%. Making banana ice cream is better with riper bananas, apples can have small bruises sliced off and be pureed for dessert , used as chunks in fruit salad or put towards a smoothie. Do this and more before you put fruit into either a compost heap or council food waste bins (they exist Joanne of Norfolk!)

Diana, Derby, UK

What a paradox. Basic food prices have increased but as a society we are rich enough to throw away perfectly edible food. I have a compost bin and nothing but peelings get discarded. Apples & pears are eaten whole, pips and all. I was born in 1943 and at times I have been very hard up. Before sell by dates we used our common sense to judge if food was edible. I'm in the process of reorganising my back garden so I can grow vegetables.

Frugality means more money to spend on other things.

Liz Valette, Portsmouth, Hants

I am not sure i can add to what Jon of Gloucester has said. We really wouldnt need to throw these fruits/vegs away if they lasted as long as the label on them suggest

Annie, Cambridge, UK

Part of this is also driven by the supermarkets, who are very happy to offer buy one get one free promotions. The net result is that consumers feel they need to take advantage of the offer whilst it lasts because it offers "good value", but end up with far too much for their immediate needs.

matthew, London, London

'food waste accounts for 40 per cent of all household rubbish. ' Of course it does, we have re-cycling facilities for everything else on our doorstep so it is surely obvious that the only things left in household bins are food waste and non-recycleable goods.

Joanne, Norfolk,

I'm more concerned people are looking through our bins!

Arthur, Newcastle,

How many kiwi fruit are thrown away each day? There's the makings of a scandal here.

RobertH, Birmingham,

This is the upside of inflation. People will at long last stop wasting food as its proportional cost is rising again in their household expenditure. Good. Bye bye week-end shopping trips in New-York. Hello valuing life's essentials. Maybe some will even discover spaghettis don't grow on Tescos shelves when they start cultivating their allotments....

Esther Phillips, Leatherhead,

Last two weeks???? we are lucky if the fruit lasts four days,the quailty of fruit in the UK is absolute junk,and what happens to all the fruit and veg that the stores waste.
Co2 what a con,its time the polititions took out there own rubbish as im sure there are lots of rotton apples there.

Jon Dove, Gloucester, Gloucestershire