Love Food Hate Waste

Published on 09 November 2022

This November, our Waste Minimisation Officer is talking about food waste, looking at a different tip each week. Every year the average family in New Zealand throws away $644 of food that could have been eaten.

When food waste ends up in the landfill with the rest of our rubbish, it does not get composted as the conditions are not right for this to happen. Our waste in the landfill is tightly compacted which doesn’t allow the oxygen needed for composting to reach the buried rubbish. This means it breaks down without oxygen and instead releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas.

We are proud to be part of the national Love Food Hate Waste NZ campaign which aims to help households reduce their food waste through simple everyday tips and tricks. This week’s tip is about planning.

Meal planning

Meal planning for the week and writing a shopping list (and actually sticking to the list and not getting taken in by special offers!) is a good way to ensure you are not buying more food than necessary. The less you buy, the less you waste.

Top tip

Remember to check your pantry, fridge and freezer before writing your shopping list to avoid doubling up on items you might have forgotten about. Or why not take a “shelfie” - a photo of your pantry shelf as a reference when you are shopping.

Get a free magnetic meal planner

To claim a free magnetic meal planner to help you stay organised and save money on your shopping trips, get in touch with our Waste Minimisation Officer.

mailroom@wdc.govt.nz