Australian households are throwing away $1500 worth of good food annually, with young adults under 35 the country’s biggest wasters, new research shows.
The Half Eaten: Australian Household Food Waste Research report, commissioned by OzHarvest and released yesterday, surveyed more than 3000 households and found that the younger generation are disposing of 113 kilograms of food every year.
The figure is 70 per cent more than their parents’ generation.
READ MORE: Confusing labels to blame for staggering food waste levels
Leftovers and vegetables were the most common food items to head to the kitchen bin, the report says.
Nearly half of all households surveyed regularly waste uneaten leftovers from home-cooked meals and takeaways.
Tomatoes, carrots, leafy greens and herbs were among the most frequently wasted veggies, despite their high prices.
The research also found confusion about food labelling.
From the high-wasting households, 58 per cent chuck out food based on best-before or use-by dates, suggesting confusion among younger people.
OzHarvest national food waste campaign manager Monique Llewelyn says people should not be solely guided by date labels.
“People don’t understand the difference and default to relying on the label rather than trusting their judgement,” she said.
“Best before means peak quality – the food is still safe to eat well beyond this date. Older generations are more confident as many remember buying food before date labels existed.”
Australia generates 7.6 million tonnes of food waste annually at a cost of $36.6 billion to the economy.
The environmental costs equally staggering, with 51 per cent of household food waste ending up in general waste bins destined for landfill, where it generates methane – a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Despite the scale of the problem, OzHarvest says simple steps, such as meal planning and using shopping lists, can reduce waste levels by 40 per cent.
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