Kate Meads is a Katikati local who educates Kiwis on food and packaging waste. Kate runs workshops and masterclasses on minimising household waste, and shares her top five tips to tackle food waste.
Opinion
Throwing away food not only hurts our wallets, but our planet too.
Food waste is a big contributor to carbon emissions and in turn, exacerbates climate change.
Meanwhile, New Zealand families lose a whopping $1520 every year because they bin uneaten food, which adds up to $3.1billion worth of food wasted nationwide.
Those numbers are staggering, and as food prices continue to climb, it’s a great time for people to make small changes that will save money and help the environment.
On Monday, I reported that bread was the most common food people throw out every year, with Love Food Hate Waste reporting 15,174 tonnes are binned annually.
Next on the pecking order were leftovers at 12,901 tonnes for a massive national cost of $140,374,320.
It happens all the time in our flat — we try to make enough dinner to have some spare for lunch the next day, but often our portion sizes are too big and the rest sits in our fridge until it goes off.
But everyone can make a big difference by doing a few easy things, according to waste expert Kate Meads.
What's not to love about saving money and helping the environment?
First, we need to shop smarter.
We should only buy what we need and pay attention to what we throw away. If we’re always throwing out manky carrots at the end of the week, skip buying them for a while.
Storing food properly is another, with veggies lasting longer if they’re put into an airtight container.
Try hard to make the most out of food by using the ‘first in, first out’ rule. This means eating the oldest items before using newer ones.
Knowing the difference between expiration dates and best-before dates is important too. Of course, if it smells rank, it’s probably best not to consume it.
Meal kits are another great option because they’re delivered right to your door and come pre-portioned for your family size. Not only will you have exactly what you need, there’ll be no extra food going in the trash.
Composting food scraps is another simple process which is an effective way to combat food waste.
Instead of throwing away leftover fruits, vegetables and other organic materials, they can be turned into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to nourish our gardens.
At the end of the day, fighting food waste is something we can all do.
By thinking about what we’re throwing out we can reduce our food waste, reduce our costs and create a greener future that’s better for everyone.
