With over a billion tonnes of food rotting in landfills every year, food waste has become a global problem. New Zealand alone throws away more than 14,000 tonnes of eatable bananas, potatoes and apples.
“Shockingly, fruit and vegetables are among the top three most wasted food items in New Zealand, costing us approximately $36 million every year,” said Juno Scott-Kelly, Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s Marketing and communications Manager.
“We know the cause of this waste is food going off before it can be eaten and too much of it being purchased.”
As Food Waste Action Week 2024 returns for its fourth year, New Zealanders are encouraged to ‘Choose What You’ll Use.' It highlights the benefits of buying loose fruit and vegetables and inspires people to do this whenever possible so that less of it ends up in the bin.
“With grocery food prices 5.4 percent higher than they were a year ago, food waste has become a top concern for Kiwis, who liken it to throwing away money, which is certainly the case.”
The government has committed to reducing food waste by 10 percent by 2030 to align with the UN’s sustainable development goals, and Love Food Hate Waste NZ is one of several projects funded by the Ministry for Environment to achieve this.
“When we shop with a list and only buy what we need, we can save up to $1,500 a year and help reduce the climate-damaging greenhouse gases from rotting food in our landfills.”
Cyclone Gabrielle's devastating impacts on food producers and the flow-on effect on food prices over the last year emphasise the urgent need for households to think about how they use their food and what they consider waste.
#FoodWasteActionWeek began in the UK in 2021. This year’s theme will demonstrate how valuable food is in our lives, how it unites people, and how using everything we buy saves money, time, and the planet.
