Food waste is a significant problem in Australia with approximately 3.1 million tonnes of edible food wasted by households from each year, costing $2200 – $3,800 per household. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals outline the target of halving food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030. Everyone has a role to play in reducing food waste and there are many small actions you can take to do your bit for the community and the environment.

Know Your Waste

Tracking your waste helps you to understand how much and what you throw away. This is useful in informing your shopping habits and tracking your progress in reducing food waste. Audit your waste using our template or simply photograph or weigh your waste for a simple waste audit.

Food waste audit template (DOC, 1MB)

Meal Planning

A lot of food waste is generated because what you buy and what you eat don’t match up. Planning your meals and shopping with a list is a great way to both save money and avoid over-purchasing. Check out our meal planning template for ideas on how to plan and shop effectively.

Meal planning template (DOC, 32KB)

Store It Right

Extending the life of your food by storing it correctly means extra value and less waste from spoiled food. Check your fridge temperature is at the recommended 3 OC and utilise airtight containers to keep food fresher for longer. For more food storage tips check out Booky’s Tips and Tricks for Properly Storing Food.

Feed Others

There are many options for excess food other than sending it to landfill. Feed Others: Get in touch with Food Bank’s Tasmanian division to donate quality surplus food to those in need.

Feed Animals: Consider chickens for your property who you can feed certain scraps to. Check out our chicken flyer for more information.

Chickens flyer (PDF, 336KB)

Composting

Where food waste cannot be avoided composting is a great way to recycle it into useful product for the home and garden. Check out our composting booklet for more information on how and why to compost.

Home composting booklet (PDF, 5.5MB)