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Published: 2 May 2012
Food waste under the gun in North Sydney
North Sydney Council is partnering with the NSW Government’s ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ program to help tackle the growing issue of food waste.
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| Poster produced by the US Office for Emergency Management during World War II. |
NSW households generate 800,000 tonnes of food waste each year, equating to $2.5 billion worth of food a year or about $1,000 per household.
‘So much food waste is unnecessary and avoidable if we just think a little more about what we buy and how we use it,’ Cr McCaffery said.
The ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ program is designed to raise awareness of the food waste problem and provide people with useful tips to help them reduce their waste, save money and live more sustainably.
Lisa Corbyn, Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage, said almost 40 per cent of household garbage going to landfill in NSW is food waste.
‘Throwing away good food like that wastes the energy, water and natural resources used to grow, package, transport and market that food,’ Ms Corbyn said.
‘And when food waste breaks down in landfill, it becomes a major contributor to the generation of methane – a gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.’
The single largest impact Australian households have on water use is through the food they consume.
‘The best thing to do is to avoid food waste in the first place, by buying only what you need, preparing and cooking correct amounts and storing food properly,’ says Ms Corbyn.
North Sydney council will promote the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ program through the council’s website, its sustainable living workshops, and its new sustainable food program ‘City harvest’.
North Sydney Council joins inaugural Love Food Hate Waste partners Woolworths, Australian Food and Grocery Council and the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW.
Source: North Sydney Council
