Little Green Idea – Reducing Food Waste
By Susan Filan | Head of Environmental Education and SS Science Teacher
Food waste is a 5 million tonne problem in Australia. More than a third of household waste is food that will produce methane if placed in landfill. In fact, if food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China!
We throw away one in five shopping bags of food, which adds up to $3,800 per year. I am sure that everyone would like to stop throwing away money. Fortunately, you can save money and reduce your food waste in a few simple steps.
- Plan your meals. It may seem like a hassle but having a weekly meal plan stops that inevitable 'What's for dinner?' question and helps you buy appropriate quantities of food.
- Store your food correctly to keep it fresh. Check that your refrigerator temperature is 3-4˚C and put food in reusable containers
- Love your leftovers! Leftovers can be eaten for lunch or made into another meal. Homemade frozen dinners are a big help on nights when no one feels like cooking.
- Compost your food waste.
There is plenty of information available about reducing food waste. The EPA's Love Food Hate Waste website offers helpful tips. Your local council will teach you about composting and then give you a discount on the method of your choice. These links will take you to the composting sites for Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Councils. Join the compost revolution and start your own organic recycling at home.