Saving the Environment

Help the planet and your budget by wasting less food

How often do we throw away uneaten leftovers, spoiled fruit and vegetables or food products past their ‘best before’ or use-by date? Australians throw out around 3 million tonnes or $5.2 billion worth of food each year – that’s $239 worth of food per person per year. This includes about $1.1 billion of fruit and vegetables – more than any other food type.

The CSIRO says that throwing out one kilogram of beef wastes the 50,000 litres of water it took to produce that meat. Throwing out one kilogram of white rice wastes 1,550 litres and discarding one kilogram of potatoes wastes 500 litres of water.

This waste means:

We have to spend more of our budget on food
Our environment suffers through greenhouse gas emissions and wasted resources
Wasted food ends up in landfill and breaks down to greenhouse gases
Wasted food means wasted resources. The water, energy and natural resources used to grow, harvest, package, transport, store, distribute and market food are also wasted when we throw out food

How to waste less food:

Plan your meals ahead and only buy the food you need:

write a shopping list
check what is in your fridge, freezer and pantry

Check your pantry and fridge regularly to make sure you use foods
before they need to be thrown out

see our “Planning ahead and pantry basics” fact sheet

Choose smaller serves when eating out (restaurant meals are often large):

share a meal or choose an entrée size and ask for a side of vegetables or salad

If possible, grow some of your own fruits, vegetables and herbs or
buy organic:

this protects the environment, your health and your food bill
you can pick the amount you need and not buy large amounts that go unused

Only cook what you need – if more is cooked, store it safely:

use leftover food within 1 to 2 days; take it for lunch; use in other meals; or freeze in sealed containers

use up fruit, vegetables and leftovers in recipes: e.g. soup, frittata, risotto, curries, toasted sandwiches, fried rice, smoothies and preserves

Store food correctly to help it stay safe and fresher for longer:

check fridges and freezers are at the right temperature and their seals intact
set fridges at 4°C and freezers at 18° C
keep perishable and cooked food in the fridge
avoid leaving food out of the fridge for more than two hours
freeze leftovers. Leave food on the bench to cool only until it stops steaming. Using smaller containers allows food to cool faster. Wrap food properly for freezing; pushing out air helps stop ice forming and prevents freezer burn
use airtight containers for storing items in the fridge or freezer and to store dry foods (eg flour, rice, pasta) in the pantry. It keeps food fresh and keeps pests out
see our “Food safety at home” fact sheet

Recycle food scraps and unused food:

set up a compost bin or worm farm for scraps
if suitable, feed the food scraps to your pets
donate unopened non-perishable food items you don’t need to a local charity before their use-by date

For more information:

Swapping Ingredients