Buying loose produce could save NZ $36m a year

Food Waste Action Week 2024 is encouraging New Zealanders to ‘Choose What You’ll Us’, highlighting the benefits of buying loose fruit and vegetables.

Love Food Hate Waste NZ says that New Zealanders throw away over 14,000 tonnes of bananas, potatoes, and apples each year.

“Shockingly, fruit and vegetables are in the top three most wasted food items in New Zealand, costing us approximately $36 million every year,” says Juno Scott-Kelly, Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s marketing and communications manager.

“We know the cause of this waste comes down to food going off before it can be eaten and too much of it being purchased,” she says.

She says that with grocery prices 5.4% higher than they were a year ago, food waste has become a top concern for many Kiwis.

“When we shop with a list and only buy what we need, we can not only save up to $1,500 a year but help reduce the climate-damaging greenhouse gases coming from rotting food in our landfills,” Scott-Kelly says.

In line with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, the government has committed to reducing food waste by 10% by 2030.

Love Food Hate Waste NZ is one of several projects funded by the Ministry for the Environment to tackle food waste in New Zealand households.

“The devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on our food producers and the flow-on effects on food prices over the last year emphasizes the urgent need for households to think about how they use their food, and what they consider to be waste,” says Scott-Kelly.

Now in its fourth year, Food Waste Action Week began in the UK in 2021, in support of the UN Sustainable Development goal of halving food waste by 2030.

This year’s theme is designed to demonstrate how valuable food is in our lives, how it unites people and how using up everything we buy saves money, time and the planet.

“We have lots of exciting things happening during Food Waste Action Week, so keep an eye on the Love Food Hate Waste Facebook and Instagram page over the week for great produce tips, recipes, and our quiz to help you discover how to only ‘Choose What You’ll Use’,” Scott-Kelly concludes.