Minimising Food Waste

The Problem

Every year in Australia a staggering 298kg of food is waster per person, totaling a massive $10.1 billion of wasted food and making us the fourth highest food wasting country globally. [1]

Food waste typically ends up in landfill, where it anaerobically decomposes, expelling methane – a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. [2] Preventing food waste from ending up here is important, but reducing wastage at the source has greater benefits with one. This is the first step in the food recovery hierarchy - source reduction - reducing the surplus of food generated in the first place. [3] Action at this stage not only diverts waste from land fill and reduces associated methane emissions, but saves the natural resources needed for production, packaging waste and transportation emissions. With increasing global populations, managing our food consumption sustainably will be critical to keeping up with growing demands on food production industries and conserving precious water and land resources.

A quarter of food wastage occurs at manufacturing stage and primary production losses account for a little under a third so it’s easy to feel powerless as a consumer but surprisingly consumers are wasting the most, with 34% of total waste coming from individual household and up to one tenth of total food bought by consumers trashed. [4]

We’re all guilty of throwing away food to some extent but there are several ways to combat food wastage in the home and the key is developing good habits.

What can you do?

Shopping Savvy
45% of Australians admit to over-buying at the supermarket so shopping smart and thinking consciously about purchases is critical. Planning your meals ahead, taking an inventory of your fridge and pantry and forming a grocery list will not only help you save at the supermarket, but will mean forgotten foods don’t rot at the back of the fridge. [5]

Don’t Neglect Leftovers
Love your leftovers! 18.1% of Australians cite having eyes bigger than their bellies as a factor in their food waste, but storing leftovers in airtight containers not only saves you time later in the week but saves the earth too, and this isn’t just at home – there’s no shame in asking for a to-go bag when out for dinner either. [6]

Use It All
The skin of many fruits and veggies are not only edible but are often jam-packed with nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals so including them in your meal plan is not only a step to cutting down your waste but has a tonne of added health benefits. If the idea of eating skin isn’t overall appealing, a cheeky hack is to chuck your excess – the stalks of greens, or the tops of carrots or strawberries or even over-ripe bananas - in a nutrient-packed smoothie, rather than in the bin.

Understanding ‘Best-Before’
Three quarters of Australians admit to binning food due to expiration and spoiling so understanding ‘best-before’ and ‘use-by’ as guidelines and exercising your best judgment when it comes to discarding food can go a long way in the fight against food waste. [7]

Storing Smart
Storing food correctly is another way to not only get the most out of your grocery shop but reduce waste too. Things like herbs will last longer wrapped in damp paper toweling and leafy greens should have any wilted leaves removed before storage. Refrigerating foods like tomatoes and cucumbers which should be kept at room temperature may seem intuitive but it’s a surefire way to reduce their lifespan. The Heart Foundation has a handy guide, but when in doubt, think about where you found them in the supermarket as an indicator. [8]

Grow Your Own
Herbs are one item highly perishable item that supermarkets seem to sell only in portion sizes five times too big. While growing your own vegetables may not be feasible for every home or lifestyle but a windowsill herb garden can keep your dishes tastier and mean you aren’t left with limp herbs without the excess waste that comes from supermarket sized portions, and you’ll be reducing plastic packaging too!

These are just a few of the simple of things you can do to get started and this is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s important to be and think consciously about what you purchase and how you consume what you have and think critically before you throw things away.

Jessica Williamson is a final year health and medical science student with an interest in engaging in the community and helping others.