Climate Change - Passing the buck to the consumer

I don't have a problem with trying to be more responsible with regards to climate change, indeed I am really trying to do my bit: downsized car, converting to energy efficient light bulbs; brought a bike to cut out using the car on short journeys as well as a few other things. Fenland District Council (where I am a member) are also being extremely pro-active on this, with a number of wind farms now erected in the area, and an excellent recycling scheme with a very high satisfaction rating amongst residents.

However, this report today that says that consumers throw away 1/3 of their food is an example where we are taking the rap, in an area where retailers are just as guilty.

Firstly, I do question the figures in the report. I know for certain that my own family don't waste 1/3 of our food (maybe that is because we have teenage children). But the report masks a bigger picture issue which is that despite all the changes to less environmentally friendly packaging that is supposed to preserve food longer, our supermarkets also throw away huge amounts of food - I recall it is something like 25%.

The situation here is the same as it is for packaging. We as consumers are increasingly having pressure put on us to do the right thing, yet the retail and manufacturing sectors are having little pressure put on them.