Reducing household food waste

Fresh produce inside a fridge.

Every year, Australian households throw away 2.5 million tonnes of food. That's more than 4 kg per person, per week.

Imagine buying a bag of groceries and putting it straight in the bin. That's how much food Australians waste each week.

In City of Moreton Bay, food waste makes up 38% of the material in red-lidded bins.

What is household food waste?

Household food waste is any food or food scraps that are discarded at home. It generally falls into two categories:

  • Unavoidable food waste: Food scraps that are not normally eaten, such as eggshells, bones and fruit pits.
  • Avoidable food waste: Food that could have been eaten but was thrown away, such as leftovers, spoiled produce and uneaten meals.

In City of Moreton Bay, most food waste found in red-lidded bins is avoidable, meaning it could have been eaten instead of thrown away.

In our general waste bins:

  • 19% is containerised food: Unopened or leftover food thrown away in bags, containers or packaging. This is often caused by overbuying, busy schedules and forgetting about food stored in the fridge.
  • 16.5% is non-protein food waste:  Fruit, vegetables and bread that have not been used before they spoiled.

Wasting less food has big benefits

Reducing food waste is one of the easiest ways to help your household budget and the environment. By making the most of the food you buy, you can:

  • Save money: The average Australian household can save up to $2,500 each year by wasting less food.
  • Help the environment: When food ends up in landfill, it breaks down and creates greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
  • Protect valuable resources: Growing, transporting and packaging food takes water, energy, land and labour. When we waste food, we waste all these resources too.

Food waste prevention and reduction

Food waste prevention focuses on avoiding waste before it occurs. Food waste reduction focuses on managing unavoidable food scraps responsibly. 

By planning meals, storing food correctly and making the most of leftovers, households can keep more food on the plate and out of the bin.

The Great Unwaste supports households to waste less food through practical tips and simple everyday habits that save money, reduce waste and keep valuable resources out of landfill. For more information, refer to The Great Unwaste.

Simple ways to prevent food waste:

  • Store food properly to keep it fresh for longer.
  • Plan meals and shop with a list to avoid overbuying.
  • Use older food first by rotating items in your fridge and pantry.
  • Get creative with leftovers and enjoy them another day.
  • Cook only what you need by adjusting portions and recipes.
  • Serve smaller portions first and go back for seconds if needed.

Turning food waste into a resource for your garden

Even with the best planning, some food waste is unavoidable. Composting is a simple way to recycle food scraps and turn them into a valuable resource for your garden instead of sending them to landfill.

Ways to compost at home:

  • Traditional composting: Ideal for gardens with space for a compost bin or heap.
  • Vermicomposting (worm farming): Worms break down food scraps into nutrient-rich castings.
  • Bokashi composting: A compact, low-odour system suitable for apartments and small spaces.
  • In-ground composting: Food scraps are buried directly in the soil, making it a simple option for larger properties.

For more information about composting visit Composting food and garden materials.

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