The NSW Government has teamed up with retailer Woolworths, households, businesses and local councils to slash food waste – under a new program called Love Food Hate Waste.
A state wide survey showed that each year NSW households throw away about $1,000 worth of food per household. Across the state households generate 800,000 tonnes of food waste and businesses generate 300,000 tonnes, which is more than $2.5 billion worth of food a year. Food waste is the largest single part of household garbage and the second largest part of commercial waste.
In May the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Frank Sartor, launched Love Food Hate Waste – a program to help thousands of households and businesses reduce growing amounts of food waste. "Food waste makes up a massive 40 per cent of the total rubbish in our household bins; that is 315 kg a home," Mr Sartor said.
"It is a tragedy that we are wasting so much food – when others around the world are starving or struggling to buy the food needed to survive. There are also major consequences for the environment when we throw away food – it goes directly into landfill where it turns into methane – a gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide."
"There are simple things we can all do to waste less food, including buying only what we need, preparing and cooking correct amounts, and storing food items properly.
"Love Food Hate Waste is a partnership program based on a successful campaign in the United Kingdom which supports households to adopt simple and easy behaviours that work to reduce food waste," Mr Sartor said. The three year NSW program includes an awareness program and partners with business to help change behaviours.
Woolworths is involved because it has more than 20 million consumers pass through its stores each week in Australia. The NSW Government is also partnering with the Australian Food and Grocery Council and the Local Government and Shires Association.
Woolworths Director of Corporate and Public Affairs, Andrew Hall, said the supermarket chain was also working towards a goal of zero food waste from stores by 2015. "Woolworths recognises that we have a significant role in cutting the amount of waste from our stores, which is why this year we launched our Fresh Food Rescue program, which aims to provide two million meals to needy Australians by donating food we can no longer sell.
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, the Honourable Frank Sartor at the launch of Love Food Hate Waste at Woolworths, Eastgardens.
"We want 2010 to be the year in which Australia gets serious about food waste so it makes absolute sense for us to back the Love Food Hate Waste program."
Under the program business and households can visit a new website to:
- find out how to plan and shop to a list
- access a serving size calculator to help them to decide on the best amounts of food to buy for their families
- cook nutritional recipes
- to find out how best to store food to keep it fresher for longer.
Individuals, businesses and organisations interested in tackling food waste, who would like to partner with Love Food Hate Waste can call 02 8837 6000 or email: info@lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au
For tips and tools on how to reduce food waste visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au.