Less is Morsel

Every year Australia sends nearly 8 million tonnes of food waste to landfill. Annually, an average household throws out about $2,500 worth (half a tonne) of groceries. Meaning that roughly one in five shopping bags of bought food is mindlessly dumped. If food waste was a country, Australia would be the world's 3rd-largest dumper. (Only China and America dump more.) Now, imagine how much food the rest of the world is dumping! Knowing that a prevention is far better than a cure we decided to get to the root of the problem. We discovered that the way we shop appears to be one of the main contributing factors leading to an increase in the amount of food waste generated in our modern society. We also found that the majority of our food waste occurs in the home, resulting from poor purchasing decisions made in store. (We are typically purchasing more than we need or purchasing the wrong items.) This haphazard way of shopping is costing us thousands of dollars a year. Which means we are paying a lot for food that we never consume! The environmental impacts are enormous too. Food waste significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change & its associated impacts. It also has economic & social consequences, representing missed opportunities to feed the hungry & resulting in financial losses. Wasted food means wasted resources used in production, transportation, & storage, further straining the planet's natural reserves. The good news is if we utilise proven methods to reduce food waste, we can mitigate climate change, enhance food security, & optimize resource utilization.