What is food waste?
Food waste is food intended for human consumption which is then thrown away.
Food waste happens at every point where food is supplied and consumed from farms to processing, to supermarkets, households, and in hospitality venues where plates are often overfilled.
A bigger problem than we think
Most people know food waste is a problem, but might not be aware of just how staggering the stats are.
In Australia, we waste 7.6 million tonnes of food a year, enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground ten times over, 70% of which is edible.
Food waste also fuels climate change accounting for 10% of global GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions. When we waste food we waste all the energy, water, land and fuel used to produce and distribute it. On top of this, food rotting in landfill produces methane – 28x times more potent than carbon dioxide.
As a major part of the food chain, Australian hospitality accounts for over 1.2 million tonnes of food waste every year or 16% of Australia's food waste, that's enough food to fill the MCG to the brim 1.5 times.
In Australia, an average café’s food waste fills more than 60% of the bin, while in catering, 20% of the food served is never eaten.
Why we need to end food waste
Food waste is a driver of climate change. When we waste food we waste all the energy, water, land and fuel used to produce and distribute it. On top of this, food waste generates 17.5 million tonnes of CO2-e every year. That’s 3% of Australia’s national greenhouse gas emissions.
Food wastage in the hospitality industry has substantial negative implications not just for the environment, but also economically because of the losses made on food purchased and prepared but not consumed, as well as impacts on food security.
Despite this, there is some resistance to food waste practices, mainly around the variables that make it difficult to control food waste, as well as difficulty in predicting demand (especially when it comes to weather or other large, unpredictable events). On top of that is the consumer habit of ordering more than can be eaten.
However, as hospitality and the food service industry is such a huge part of our economy and our society, an open attitude and a willingness to change is imperative.
Preventing food waste has a cost benefit ratio of more than 6:1, with 80% of catering sites recovering costs within 2 years. Further, 91% of consumers prefer to buy from organisations taking steps to reduce their food waste.
Simple strategies to get venues started
While it’s a big problem, many venues find food waste action intimidating. It’s often difficult to predict demand and there are also concerns around consumer perception around portion size and presentation. But there are many things that venues can do that aren’t costly or complicated, and we’ve provided some easy actions below.
The first action is awareness and education. Simply understanding where waste is coming from and educating your staff about it can help reduce food waste, as this understanding will lead to strategies that work for your business.
This strategy worked for Radish Events, who track their food waste by weighing bins at the end of each service, which not only provides data on waste levels, but also fosters a culture of accountability among the staff.
Over time, the chefs at Radish have developed a sense of achievement in their ability to minimise kitchen food waste. When a new chef comes into the kitchen, the staff are proud to show off their existing culture.
The second action is to work with your customers to empower them, while reducing waste at the same time. One example of this is creating smaller, creative menus like Melbourne cafe Cassette who offer a one-page menu with an extensive selection of side items, allowing customers to choose what they do or do not want to eat. This includes condiments, which it found were a common source of food waste.
If you're a venue...what next?
End Food Waste Australia works to reduce food waste across the entire food chain, including in Australia’s vibrant hospitality industry. The organization has released two new Sector Action Plans (SAPs) to help both caterers and cafes consider how food waste reduction can become a routine part of their culture.
Every small action your business takes is a step closer to helping to halving food waste in Australia by 2030. Download the Catering Sector Action Plan or the Cafe Sector Action Plan to get informed.
Ending food waste starts with all of us, find out more at End Food Waste Australia
Figures provided by End Food Waste Australia.
