Across the UK roughly 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted every year! That’s enough to feed around 30 million people. We catch up with Manrico Magozzi, one of the Islington Council team bringing food waste recycling to the borough, about how we can get better at using our leftovers

Tell us about your background in food.

I grew up in a farmer’s family, we used to have a vegetable garden and our own animals. I’m Italian, so of course food is really important to us – it’s all about bringing people together. As well as feeding you, it has that social element.

Is there a particular type of cooking that you like?

In Italy we are masters of a method called “cucina povera”, which is about making the most out of every ingredient, including leftovers. I like to use leftovers in cooking, because it’s practical, and because I hate wasting food. I come from a modest family; in the old days my parents had a mortgage to pay for, so everything had to be eaten. We learnt that leftovers weren’t waste but could be used to make delicious meals.

What are your tips for not wasting food?

Never view your food as not fit for purpose – there’s plenty you can do with it. With vegetables you can make a frittata, and you can do lots of things with stale bread. I make my own recipes and doing that gives you something new to learn. You don’t necessarily have to stick to a recipe.

What type of cuisine do you like to cook? Living in London, I love to experiment with food that’s not necessarily Italian – I love to cook anything!

For more tips and advice on how to recycle you food waste visit: islington.gov.uk/FoodWaste