How can we combat food wastage in Australia?

Next time you sit down to dinner, consider this: Australians buy around 15 million tonnes of food per year – and that doesn’t even include eating out or takeaway. It’s a staggering number, and while a growing nation certainly needs its fuel, the stats hide a real problem: much of that food is going to waste.

Food wastage isn't just happening in our own kitchens either. From farms to transport and our local supermarket, it is happening at every stage of the chain. To help us get to the bottom of food wastage in Australia – and learn about how we can combat that waste – we chatted with Dr Agnes Mukurumbira, a Deakin lecturer in food science.

Before we look at ways to tackle the problem, let's define it: what does food wastage actually mean?

'Food waste, to me, is any food that could have nourished someone but instead ends up in the bin,' Mukurumbira says. The definition can vary depending on whether we’re looking at a developing country or a wealthier nation.

'In developing countries, [food wastage] often takes the form of fruits and vegetables rotting before they ever reach the market, largely due to limited storage facilities, refrigeration or transportation infrastructure,' says Mukurumbira.

In contrast, in wealthier countries like Australia, food wastage might mean over-purchasing at the grocery store or sending food to landfill because it doesn’t meet cosmetic standards for purchase.

As mentioned earlier, there’s no single cause of food waste as it happens at many points along the supply chain.

Farms and food producers, for instance, can lose crops and products to pests, weather, disease or market forces beyond their control. At home, common culprits might be poor meal planning or confusion around ‘best before’ versus ‘use by’ dates.

In processing and manufacturing, Mukurumbira says that food is often wasted due to issues like contamination, production faults and excessive trimming during preparation.

There are unique challenges for Australians when it comes to food wastage. As the CSIRO notes, Australians experience food insecurity and food waste because of natural forces like bushfires, droughts and floods. Farmers and food growers, addressing the Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices, have also suggested that food waste in Australia results from oversupply, thanks largely to supermarket agreements.

Nearly a third of Australian food wastage happens in the home, however. 'Of the 7.6 million tonnes of food wasted annually, around 30% comes directly from households,' she says. 'The Half Eaten report (PDF, 22.3MB) by OzHarvest highlights that households of under 35s are the biggest contributors, with bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, and yoghurt topping the list of commonly wasted items.'

The reasons for this household food waste in Australia include issues like poor planning – like shopping without a list or not planning meals, for example.

For Mukurumbira, though, the environmental impacts of food wastage are of particular concern.

'Environmentally, when food breaks down in landfill, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas with at least 28x more global warming potential than carbon dioxide,' she says. 'In Australia, this accounts for about 3% of our national greenhouse gas emissions.'

Globally, this methane can be up to 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, making it an important area of focus with regard to climate change.

The financial impacts of food wastage in Australia are just as striking.  In our homes, wasted food can add up to as much as $3800 each year. Nationally, the cost is estimated at $36.6 billion annually.

Australians waste the equivalent of 312kg of food per person annually.

So, how can we reduce that food wastage in Australia? As Mukurumbira explains, the answer lies in tackling the problem at every stage of the food chain.

'On farms, better storage and transport systems can help ensure that fruit and vegetables make it from paddock to plate, while more flexible quality standards from retailers would mean fewer crops are rejected simply for not being picture-perfect,' she says.

In retail and hospitality settings, Mukurumbira says that food waste could be avoided with improved stock management, better storage and donating surplus food. On the manufacturing and processing side, Mukurumbira suggests reducing wasteful trimming practices and using smarter equipment to reduce spoilage.

The good news? Every household has the power to make a difference. When we reduce food wastage in Australia, we’re not just saving money – we’re also protecting the environment and valuing the food that nourishes us.

And the best part? It can start with small, everyday habits. Here are ten ways to avoid food waste today:

1. Shop with a list. Take note of what you already have at home and what you need, write it down and use that list at the supermarket. It can help save money on groceries too.
2. Plan your meals. A good way to make sure you’re only buying what you need is to plan your weekly meals. Figure out what food you want to make and eat, then buy those ingredients.
3. Use your freezer. Freezers can be very helpful when it comes to keeping food usable for longer. Foods like raw meat and seafood, bread, spices and leftover meals can often stay fresh in the freezer much longer than the fridge.
4. Rotate food in the freezer and pantry. If you buy the same ingredients regularly, it’s worth checking use-by dates and rotating those items so that you use the oldest food first.
5. Understand food labels. ‘Use by’ and ‘best before’ labels aren’t the same, and many of us can end up throwing out food because we’re not sure which is which. Typically, food past its use-by date shouldn’t be eaten, but best before labels just refer to quality.
6. Use apps. Don’t feel you have to juggle everything in your head all the time. Instead, take advantage of apps that can do things like track use-by dates and help keep track of food freshness.
7. Take advantage of food-saving products. Airtight containers, freezer bags, ziplock bags similar products can all extend the life of food in your home.
8. Find ways to use leftovers. Having leftover meals can be a great shortcut to an easy lunch, but leftover ingredients can often go to waste. Leftover cooked meat, rice or chopped-up fresh vegetables could all potentially get used in another meal. Get creative with your leftovers.
9. Preserve food: Foods like jams, pickles and ferments exist because our ancestors needed a way to store food beyond its natural shelf life in a time before refrigeration. These techniques are often quite simple and, if you find yourself with too many cucumbers or a glut of strawberries, can be a delicious way to avoid waste.
10. Use a compost bin for food waste: Food waste is sometimes unavoidable. If fruit and vegetables are starting to go bad, composting can be a great way to avoid sending them to landfill. If you can’t compost at home, check your council’s green waste policy or find a local compost.

Interested in investigating solutions to problems like food waste? Explore your PhD options at Deakin.