Food Waste – What’s the Problem?
With Waste Action Maleny
Food waste costs the Australian economy approximately $36.6 billion annually. Household food waste is approximately 30% of this, costing households up to $2,500 per year. This is like throwing money into the bin. The top five wasted foods are fruit, vegetables, bread, salad and leftovers.
In addition to the waste of money, food waste is a problem because:
• Decomposing food waste in landfill releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
• Food waste contributes to landfill overflow.
• It takes significant resources (water, land, energy) to grow food. Less food waste would mean those resources could be used more efficiently.
How can we reduce food waste?
• Plan meals and only buy what you need.
• Make a shopping list and stick to it.
• Don’t buy fruit and veg in bulk if you don’t really need to.
• Store food correctly so it doesn’t spoil.
• Don’t buy food close to its expiry date.
• Use up leftovers or freeze for use later.
• Reduce meal portion sizes and share large restaurant meals to avoid waste.