Reduce food waste
beyond the kitchen

Your food scraps kerb-side caddy makes it easy to keep rukenga kai (food scraps) out of the landfill and put it to better use. By using it for unavoidable scraps, you’re helping turn food waste into compost, biofertilizer or renewable energy at industrial facilities like the Ecogas Reporoa plant - keeping nutrients in the loop and reducing emissions. Best for: Fruit and vegetable scraps, spoiled food, meat, bones, and dairy products, bread, grains, and baked goods, pasta & rice, indoor cut flowers, coffee grounds and tea bags. Top tip: When in doubt, if it’s food, it can usually go in your caddy. Just keep packaging and plastics out. Watch how Auckland Council is turning food scraps into clean energy here.

Bokashi is a Japanese fermentation system that breaks down food waste faster than compost and can handle foods that worms and compost can’t. Once fermented, the waste can be buried in soil or added to compost. Bokashi can take: meat and fish, dairy, cooked foods, citrus and onions. Top tip: Bokashi Bins are ideal for apartments or households wanting an all-in-one solution. Learn more about how to start a Bokashi bin here.

Sometimes food is still perfectly good, but you just won’t get to it in time. Whether you want to buy surplus food at a discount or share your own excess, these resources make it easy to save food from being wasted by connecting households and businesses with people who can use it. Check out the different options to suit you below.