Australian households generate approximately 2.5 million tonnes of food waste per year. When applied proportionally to our local population, this means Greater Geelong residents could be sending up to 26,600 tonnes of food to landfill each year, which is equivalent in weight to 5, 320 Asian elephants.
Food waste is a problem for many reasons. Not only does food sent to landfill contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, but it also wastes the many valuable resources used to grow, transport and package that food in the first place.
Thankfully, there are many simple ways your family can reduce the food sent to landfill, which will also help to save both time and money.
Plan ahead
If you're playing host for a Christmas or New Year's get-together, it goes without saying that the first thing you need is a clear idea of how many people are coming to your event. Once that's settled, plan what you're going to serve and write a shopping list that accounts for all aspects of what you’ll be serving – from antipasto platters through to dessert.
If you’re planning to ask your guests to bring a plate, don't just request a salad or dessert. Be specific. This will help you avoid receiving multiples of the same dish.
Finally, as many of us aren’t used to eating a three-course meal (plus snacks) expect that there will be some leftovers and prepare for that. This might mean:
- freeing up fridge and freezer space in the weeks prior
- asking your guests to BYO takeaway containers for leftovers
- writing a post-event meal plan for items like the Christmas ham.
Buy wisely
Always choose loose fruit and vegetables so you are getting exactly the amount you need, and without the soft plastic packaging.
If you are planning to cook a roast, calculate the amount of meat you need per person and buy accordingly. This saves money and means shorter cooking times on the day, which is a particularly good thing if temperatures are sweltering.
Finally, while supermarket promotions might make buying in bulk seem worthwhile, it’s only helpful if you either need what you’re buying, or the item is non-perishable. If the ‘special deal’ doesn’t fit either of these criteria, keep walking.
Start small and top-up as you need
It’s hard to know how much people will eat at your event, or how long they're likely to stay. Instead of placing everything out when guests arrive, serve food in smaller quantities to start with, topping-up as you go to keep the food fresh. And if you’re outside, keep food covered; nothing turns people off an expensive camembert more than seeing flies crawling all over it.
If you're serving a main meal, serve it using a buffet-style arrangement. This allows your guests to choose what they want and how much, minimising the likelihood of leftovers on their plate.
Finally, if you’re worried about under catering, have items on hand that you can pull out if needed, but can easily be frozen or stored otherwise.
The post-event clean-up
Once everyone has finished eating, gather up the leftovers and put them straight into the fridge or freezer to maintain freshness. If you've got containers, putting the leftovers directly into them will not only make stacking the fridge easier, but handing out food to guests as they leave will also be a breeze.
Leftover scraps should be directed to compost. If you don't have a compost bin, consider purchasing one or visit the ShareWaste website to connect with people in your local neighbourhood that can compost the scraps for you.
In the days after your event, don't forget to refer back to your post-event meal plan. This step is particularly important for using up non-compostable items, such as meat and dairy.
