Why are we wasting food?

Australian’s tend to lose focus on the real value of food in our world and the nature of which it comes from. By wasting food, we are being environmentally unethical and are harming our environment’s resources and functions. Consumer behaviour and lack of communication are analysed to be the greatest underlying factor in society’s food waste.

Environmental impacts of food waste

  1. Global warming and climate change

Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and produces methane. This leads to an increase in global warming and climate change.

  1. Loss of valued environmental resources

The worth of energy and natural resources are lost in the processing, transporting, storing, and cooking when food is wasted.

  1. Agriculture becomes worthless

Approximately one-third of the world’s total agricultural land area is being wasted to grow food that is not consumed.

  1. Deforestation

When meat is at a high request, deforestation of untouched land occurs to contribute as homes for livestock. However, when meat is being wasted in Australian homes, there is no real purpose of giving up and destroying land.

Environmentally friendly ways to recycle food waste

  1. Feed leftover food to pets
  2. Create a new meal with scraps and leftovers
  3. Use kitchen scrap as compost
  4. Reuse the food packaging material
  5. Regrow produce
  6. Buy less food!