Extracted from Rotary Melbourne News for September 2020
 
Food waste is a major contributor in damaging our environment, because when food waste goes to landfill it decomposes and emits methane gas, a very toxic pollutant.
 
It is frightening that each year:
  • Australians send 3 million tonnes of food waste to landfill, the equivalent of 220 kg per person.
  • Victorian households throw out 250,000 tonnes of food, enough to fill Melbourne's Eureka Tower.
  • 60% of the food we throw out is scraps.
  • 29% of Australians leave 15% of their meal on their plate, when dining out.
Tips on cutting down on food waste
  • Shop smart - to avoid buying more food than you need, make frequent trips to the grocery store every few days rather than doing a bulk shopping trip once a week.
  • When supermarket shopping, avoid using plastic bags and wrappings.
  • If possible, avoid pre-packaged products and carry reusable
  • Store food correctly – improper storage can lead to a massive amount of food waste.
  • Learn to preserve to make food last longer to reduce waste.
  • Keep your fridge, freezer, and pantry tidy – an overstocked fridge can be bad when it comes to food waste.
  • Eat less meat as beef cattle are heavy emitters of methane gas.
  • Try composting, turning food waste into energy, but remember in the first place it’s best to reduce the waste we create.
  • Place food scraps in a Green bin for composting if the localcouncil provides.
Leftovers
  • Store leftovers in glass containers.
  • Consider serving smaller
  • Incorporate leftovers into your next meal.
  • Make delicious smoothies, be creative with the ingredients you use,
  • Making stock is an easy way to save on excess food.
  • Using the freezer is a good method to preserve food.
  • Keep track of what you throw away to prevent doing the same in the future.
  • Donate excess food to food banks and farms,
  • When dining out and not able to eat all on your plate, don’t be shy, ask for a doggy bag
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