To get to your kitchen, the humble apple often makes a journey of several thousand miles after being grown, watered and harvested. It’s then packaged, chilled, and transported to the supermarket and then your home. But this common part of Scottish householders’ diets also contributes to the £70 million worth of fresh, edible fruit thrown away every year.

In direct response, Leith is joining communities across the Lothians and Borders by taking part in the Changeworks Kitchen Canny project. Over the next year, the project will be working with 3000 households overall to look at practical ways to cut down on the food they waste.

Greener Leith, the local organisation working with Changeworks, is now looking for local households to get involved. By trying out the Kitchen Canny action kit, households will get a real snapshot of the food they waste and lots of practical ideas on how to reduce it.

"Changeworks have produced a fantastic action kit that is easy and fun to use. I've no doubt that it will help anyone who takes part to cut the amount of food they waste, save cash and maybe even learn some new cooking tips.” says Alastair Tibbitt of Greener Leith.

Apart from throwing money down the drain (£430 a year in every household according to WRAP), all that food waste also ends up in landfill - and when it decomposes it produces methane, a gas that contibutes to climate change.

Anna Derricourt from Changeworks has seen a great response from householders currently taking part in the Lothians, “Already people are saying that it’s been really eye-opening because they didn’t know how much they were really throwing away and how easy it is to really make an impact.”

To get your free action kit or find out more go to www.changeworks.org.uk/kitchencanny or visit Greener Leith at the Changeworks office, 36 Newhaven Road.