Post by Old Techo on Jul 24, 2023 11:15:00 GMT 10
Every time I see these stats I find them almost impossible to believe
We NEVER throw out any food. So others out there are chucking out our share
I could understand the odd mismanagement of the fridge but that will never reasonably account for a household annual loss of 2.5 grand.
Whether we are at home or caravanning, as we are now, it is not hard to manage food to ensure all is eaten in an organised manner.
At home we food shop only once per week.
If anyone here is a regular tosser (of food) would you kindly share how that situation arises?
This info from the ABC's War on Waste series...
How many of your black-spotted bananas land in the bin? Or the vegetables you were planning to cook up? Or the dinner leftovers that "you'll definitely have for lunch tomorrow"?
Australia sends 7.6 million tonnes of household and commercial food waste to landfill every year. It’s hard to imagine these sorts of volumes, so let’s look at it another way.
Australian households throw out an average $2,500 worth of groceries every year. Ouch. This means roughly one in every five shopping bags of food is carelessly dumped. In an average household of four people, that's half a tonne of food waste a year!
Your hip pocket might be hurting reading that, but the financial waste is only a small part of the problem. Throwing away uneaten food wastes all of the water, energy and resources that went into growing the food, and when food and other organics are sent to landfill, it breaks down and creates methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Think about this: If food waste was a country, it would be the world's third-largest emitter. Only China and America would emit more. In fact, food waste creates far more emissions than the aviation industry.
The upside of reducing food waste is that a lot of it can be done by you and your household.
Here are some simple tips to remember:
• Never shop hungry
• Make a list before you shop and check your fridge before you go
• If you're near shops, visiting frequently for fewer items can help reduce waste
• Composting is great, but eating your food is better (and tastier)
• Be realistic, not too optimistic. I know you want to cook at home seven nights this week, but will you REALLY?
Want to do more?
• Use It Up! Set up a shelf or container in your fridge where you put any food that has to be used first, either because it's part eaten or is approaching the end of its life. To help, Oz Harvest has created Use It Up Tape. Order it for free and let the visual prompt help you on your journey to a waste-free fridge. Research has shown this is an effective way to keep food use top of mind.
• Join the Share Waste community: Share Waste is a community-building AND waste-reducing initiative that connects you with neighbours to stop food waste going in the bin. You can become a compost donor, or host, in your neighbourhood. Many councils also provide communities with heavily subsidised compost bins. Find out if your council does.
• Volunteer at a food charity: One of the great ironies is that at the same time we're throwing away perfectly edible food, cost of living pressure means more families are relying on food charities to get by. If you have some time, why not volunteer at a charity like Food Bank, Second Bite or Oz Harvest. It not only helps others; it's a great way to stop food reaching landfill.