Whether you want to improve your health, clean up your eco-act or simply save money, looking at how much food you waste is a good idea.
Australians send four million tonnes of food to landfill every year and 60% of this is leftovers and fruit and vegetables that’ve been left to wilt.
This waste is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; for every tonne of food waste not sent to landfill, almost one tonne of CO2 emissions is saved.
It also makes good economic sense. The average Australian household throws away an estimated $1000 worth of food ever year, generally due to buying more than they need.
Thankfully, slashing your food waste isn’t hard. Follow these five simple tips and you’ll be well on your way:
1. Don’t fall for ‘buy in bulk’ specials
Grabbing two heads of cabbage for $3.50 instead of $5, for example, may seem like a great deal but unless you’re making a giant vat of sauerkraut, most likely the second cabbage will wilt before you get around to using it and will end up in the bin.
2. Store leftovers in the freezer
That way they won’t go to waste before you get around to eating them.
3. Don’t bother with peeling
Many peels are edible and in fact contain much of the nutritional content of vegetables. The skins of pumpkin, beetroot, potatoes and carrots are all edible.
4. Eat the leaves & stems
The leaves of veggies like beetroot, radish, kohl rabi and cauliflower and the stems of kale and broccoli are edible. Instead of throwing these out, use the leaves as you would silver beet or spinach and add the stems to casseroles or soups – they need a little longer to become tender.
5. Compost
Food wasting away in landfill produces greenhouse gases but in acomposting system, food waste is converted into nutritious soil for the garden. If you don’t have a garden or the space for a regular compost bin get your hands on a benchtop composting system. Many Councils now offer composting solutions, so check with your before you push ahead.
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