Why Food Waste Matters

FOOD WASTE EXPLAINED

Did you know that roughly one-third of all food produced globally is never eaten? Every time we toss food into the bin, we're contributing to a massive, yet invisible, environmental catastrophe.

Food waste isn't just about discarded leftovers—it's a critical issue that accelerates climate change and squanders valuable resources. When we discard food, we don't see the harmful greenhouse gases it emits as it decomposes in landfills. In fact, if food waste were a country, it would rank as the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the United States and China.

All we notice is an apple in the bin, but the true cost is much greater.

Inspired by the Love Food Hate Waste campaign in the UK, we undertook some research to find out if household food waste was a problem in Aotearoa. Turns out food waste is a problem, with households throwing away $2.9 Billion worth of food every year—or about 86 kilograms per household annually! (Source: Hello Fresh Understanding Kiwi Households Food Waste Report, 2024).

Don’t despair, things are happening

Reducing food waste is one of the top solutions for combating climate change. By cutting food waste, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. In addition to our efforts to reduce household food waste, there are many different things happening around the world to reduce food waste.

• In Aotearoa, food rescue groups such as Kiwi Harvest, Kaibosh & Fair Food collect surplus food from supermarkets, wholesalers, and producers, redistributing it to charities and people in need across the country.

• Eco Gas, a facility in New Zealand is the first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facility processing food waste to generate biogas and nutrient-rich fertiliser

• In France it is now illegal for supermarkets to throw away edible food. Instead they must donate it to charities and groups, who will supply it those who need it.

• The United States has announced a goal to reduce its food waste by 50% by 2030.

• A programme in South Korea has been implemented where people have to pay to dispose of their food waste, thus encouraging people to only waste what is absolutely necessary. The collected food is then turned into animal feed, fertilizer or burned to generate electricity.

• Love Food Hate Waste began in the United Kingdom in 2007 and was the first major campaign to tackle food waste. It has been successful in achieving an 25% reduction in household food waste. The campaign is also being run in Canada, New South Wales, Scottland, Victoria and Brisbane.

Reduce your waste