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FIGHT WASTE & SAVE MONEY
FIGHT WASTE &
SAVE MONEY. 3. Potential interventions to reduce key products wasted
Food Waste in Australian Households
NEW RESEARCH FROM THE FIGHT FOOD WASTE The most wasted products in CRC, AUSTRALIAN Australian households can also HOUSEHOLDS CAN be categorised in two ways: a) by SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR USING SIMPLE MEASURES TO REDUCE the dollar value of the products wasted, and b) by the overall weight of waste produced. Using the dollar value allows practitioners to better highlight FOOD WASTE. the potential savings able to be made by a household in reducing their food waste.
Save thousands of dollars each year using simple measures to reduce food waste. Analysis of the data from Australian households The Australian economy loses $36.6 billion each sampled identified the top food categories and year due to food waste with households alone items contributing to household waste based on dollar value and looked at the behaviours most contributing $19.3 billion (Food Innovation correlated with waste in those items. Meat and sea Australia, 2021). According to the National food (grouped together), and fresh vegetables and Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, at least fresh herbs (grouped together), were the top two a 30% reduction in household food waste is categories of food that contributed to the dollar value of food waste. Five food items that were required to achieve Australia’s goal of halving identified as high priorities were: cooked beef, sliced food waste by 2030bread and bread rolls (grouped together), salads STOP THROWING MONEY IN THE BIN. (using vegetables), bananas, and cooked rice. The behaviours most associated with driving waste across The top five most wasted products (in terms these five products are outlined in Table 2, along with of dollar value) are cooked beef, sliced bread potential interventions to address them. Some of the and bread rolls, vegetable salads, banana interventions overlap with those listed in Table 1. and cooked rice and should be prioritised for household food waste reduction interventions.
Top 5 products to prioritise for interventions
Beef (cooked)
Bread (sliced and rolls)
Salads
(using vegetables)
Banana Rice
(cooked)
Over Providers Over Providers
Typically parents in young families with children, OverProviders waste the most food. While they plan meals and shopping, they purchase and cook more than is needed, and don’t eat leftovers. They are motivated to change their behaviours to reduce food waste, but feel 23% of it would require some effort, particularly due to the unpredictable tastes and appetites of their children. households 2.3 out of 10 household food managers in Australia are Over Providers are over providers
What influences their food waste?
When assessing food waste, consumers fall into one of three identified segments: • over providers Buy extra food because children • under planners are unpredictable in what they • considerate planners like The first two most associated with higher waste.
Their parents also bought and cooked more than needed Express love for family and guests by over-catering
How motivated are they to reduce What makes it hard to change?
Because I don't like to leave people hungry and that can mean I am a bit of an over caterer… think I've got that from my mom. I just never want anyone to leave my house hungry.
6.33kgs per weekw m uc h food do they waste?
H What influences their food waste? What influences their food waste?
o What makes it hard to change? What What
They feel change requires an effort due to: behaviours behaviours
Busy schedules could be targeted to could be targeted to reduce their reduce their Environmental issues food waste? food waste?
What makes it hard to change? They feel change requires an effort due to: Busy schedules What makes it hard to change? They feel change requires an effort due to: Busy schedules What can help change their behaviours to reduce food waste? Healthy eating What behaviours could be targeted to reduce their food waste? What behaviours could be targeted to reduce their food waste?
They are motivated to reduce food waste, especially by: They feel change requires an effort due to:
Financial savings Doing the right thing for their children Children’s unpredictable appetites and preferences
Busy schedules Environmental issues
What makes it hard to change? What
The kids can be unpredictable…behaviours because they might eat a quarter of what you give them. Sometimes they eat it all, you just never know with them [but] at least 50% of the time could be targeted to reduce their food waste? you're throwing out a lot of their food.Make a complete shopping list before food shopping
Who are they?Who are they? Use oldest food first Make a complete shopping list before food shopping Make a complete shopping list before food shopping Make a complete shopping list before food shopping Manage fridge and freezers for food that needs to be used up
Stick to their shopping list and only buy what is needed
Doing the right thing Doing the right thing Promote a ’use what They feel change requires an effort due to: you have day’ as part of their meal plans management with a ‘USE ME’ area in Reminders in the supermarket to buy the right amount Remind them at home at meal-times to cook the right amount Involve children in food preparation at home Partner with health and fitness providers to promote weekly healthy meal plans and leftover recipes
Buy extra food Full fridges and because children frequent eating are unpredictable out means less in what they leftovers are like eaten
Their parents also bought and cooked more than needed Men and women, usually under 45 years
Express love for family and guests by over-catering What influences their food waste? Who are they? Both work Have children under 17 years at home Highest income Shop mainly at large
Buy extra food Full fridges and because children frequent eating are unpredictable out means less in what they leftovers are like eaten
Their parents also bought and cooked more than needed What Men and women, behaviours usually under 45 years Express love for could be family and guests by over-cateringtargeted to reduce their Both work What can help change their behaviours to reduce food waste? food waste? Make a planner Make a complete shopping list before food shopping Stick to a shopping list Have children under 17 years at home Highest income Shop mainly at large supermarkets More likely to eat out
Children’s unpredictable appetites and preferences
Manage fridge and freezers for food that needs to be used up
What can help change their behaviours to reduce food waste? Stick to their shopping list and only buy what is needed
Children’s unpredictable appetites and preferences
Manage fridge and freezers for food that needs to be used up
What can help change their behaviours to reduce food waste? Stick to their shopping list and only buy what is needed
Children’s unpredictable appetites and preferences
Manage fridge and freezers for food that needs to be used up Stick to their shopping list and only buy what Cook and serve is needed based on family hunger levels Use oldest food first and use leftovers when cooking
Reminders in the supermarket to buy the right amount
Children’s unpredictable appetites and preferences
Remind them at home at meal-times to cook the right amount
Reminders in the Involve children in food supermarket to buy preparation at home the right amount Partner with health and Remind them at home fitness providers to promote at meal-times to cook weekly healthy meal plans the right amount and leftover recipes
Reminders in the supermarket to buy Involve children in food the right amount preparation at home Remind them at home Partner with health and at meal-times to cook the right amount fitness providers to promote weekly healthy meal plans and leftover recipes
Involve children in food preparation at home Partner with health and fitness providers to promote weekly healthy meal plans and leftover recipes
Express love for family and guests by over-catering
Figure 3: Over Providers – behaviours to encourage
Full fridges and frequent eating out means less Manage fridge and leftovers are eaten freezers for food that needs to be used up Men and women, usually under 45 years
Both work
Because I don't like to leave people hungry and that can mean I am a bit of an over caterer… Because I don't like to leave people hungry and think I've got that from my mom. I just never want anyone to leave my that can mean I am a house hungry. bit of an over caterer… think I've got that from PAGE 71 my mom. I just never want anyone to leave my
Cook based on hunger level Stick to their shopping list and only buy what is needed Cook and serve based on family hunger levels Use left overs In collaboration with:
Cook and serve based on family hunger levels Use oldest food first and use leftovers when cooking In collaboration with: Food Waste in Australian HouseholdsCook and serve based on family hunger levels Use oldest food first and use leftovers when cooking In collaboration with: Food Waste in Australian HouseholdsUse oldest food first and use leftovers when cooking Food Waste in Australian Households
Under Planners Under Planners
Part of single or couple households, without young children, Under Planners are less likely to plan shopping and cooking. The second most wasteful group, they are generally disinterested 32% of in food shopping or cooking and the least motivated to change their behaviours to reduce food waste, despite perceiving change to not households require much effort. 3.2 out of 10 household food are under managers in Australia are Under Planners planners
What influences their food waste?
General disinterest in shopping and cooking
I hate cooking .. and when I cook, I will try and do a couple of meals out of that… I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
4.46kgs per weekH o w much food do they waste? What makes it hard to change?
The last three salads that I’ve had, I didn’t even cut up the carrot. I put the whole carrot on the plate and ate it like Bugs Bunny, because it just seemed easier…When you’re by yourself…you slacken off.
I hate cooking .. and when I cook, I will try and do a couple of meals out of that… I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
They feel change does not require an effort but have a:
Lack of interest in planning
The last three salads that I’ve had, I didn’t even cut up the carrot. I put the whole carrot on the plate and ate it like Bugs Bunny, because it just seemed easier…When you’re by yourself…you slacken off.
I hate cooking .. and when I cook, I will try and do a couple of meals out of that… I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
What influences their food waste? Who are they?
General disinterest in shopping and cooking Want to be timeefficient when shopping and cooking Women, 35 – 64 years old Live alone or part of a couple Often don’t have children at home Second highest income One person responsible for shopping and cooking
Food Waste in Australian Households
I hate cooking .. and
What influences their food waste? Who are they?
General disinterest in shopping and cooking Want to be timeefficient when shopping and cooking Women, 35 – 64 years old What influences their food waste? Who are they? Live alone or part of a couple Often don’t have children at home General disinterest in shopping and cooking Second highest income
Want to be timeefficient when shopping and cooking Women, 35 – 64 years old Live alone or part of a couple Often don’t have children at home
What behaviours could be targeted to reduce their
food waste? Make a Store food Food Waste in Australian Households shopping list correctly
What can help change their behaviours to reduce food waste? Make a Check food meal plan stocks In collaboration with:
Lack of interest in shopping
Promote online shopping as time efficient and an easy way to plan meals Partner with supermarkets to provide greater options to purchase right amount for smaller households
Make a meal plan for a set number of days Store food correctly at home after a food shop
Check food stocks at home before going food shopping Make a complete shopping list before food shopping Food Waste in Australian Households
Considerate Considerate Planners Planners
45% of Coming from older couple households, Considerate Planners waste the least food overall. They have a strong interest and love for food and show pride in being organized. With children no longer living at households home, they have time and experience to engage in a range of planning, shopping and cooking practices that reduce food waste. are under4.5 out of 10 household food plannersmanagers in Australia are Considerate Planners
3.72kgs per weekH o w much food do they waste?
For determining an estimate of the actual amount of food wasted in households it is necessary to adjust all of the amounts determined by the Survey, Diary, or Bin Audit (see Table 4).
Table 4: Adjustment factors for estimating actual household food waste from different methods
What influences their food waste? I love to cook. And since I’ve been home, I’ve been cooking even more, but I’m very conscious to be sustainable so that we don’t throw things out. So I’ll make sure that if I The way their own overbuy, I know that I’m going to use it. parents shopped and cooked
Adjustment Factor* Survey Love cooking and food
Diary
Bin Audit
Express love for family through food
Take pride in being organised
* For example, actual food waste equals amount determined from Survey multiplied by 1.7
I love to cook. And since I’ve been home, I’ve been cooking even more, but I’m very conscious to be sustainable so that we don’t throw things out. So I’ll make sure that if I overbuy, I know that I’m going to use it.
What influences their food waste?What influences their food waste? What influences their food waste?
The way their own parents shopped The way their own and cooked parents shopped and cooked
The way their own parents shopped Love cooking and cookedand food Love cooking and food
Love cooking and food
Express love for family Express love through food for family through food
Express love for family through foodTake pride in being organised Take pride in being organised
Take pride in being organised
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madeIN australia
liquorice range liquorice range
The empirical analysis identified seven (7) behaviours to prioritise when developing household food waste interventions (see
It is recommended these be the focus for interventions as they have the strongest measured relationships with reducing food waste. A total of forty (40) behaviours were identified through combining international literature and the experiences of Australian based experts. An empirical investigation of these behaviours with households in Australia (Karunasena, Pearson, & Fight Food Waste CRC, 2021a) identified twelve (12) that had statistically significant correlations with high food waste and six (6) with a statistically significant correlation with lower levels of food waste. These eighteen (18) behaviours were then workshopped with a panel of Australian food waste experts, resulting in the selection of the seven behaviours shown in Figure 1 (Ananda,
1
2
3
4 Prepare appropriate amount
Plan for changes in plans
Eat leftovers
Purchase appropriate amount
5 Eat oldest items first POTENTIAL FOOD
WASTE INTERVENTION
STRATEGIES.
So, by following some simple steps you can save money, and help the environment, remember every time you throw something away it impacts on the environment through landfill, the energy it took to produce that product and it’s packaging.
The work has been supported by the Fight Food Waste
Cooperative Research
Centre whose activities are funded by the Australian
Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Program. Food Waste in Australian Households Evidence for designing interventions
6
7 Appropriate storage in fridge/freezer
Encourage small servings
THE PERFECT BALANCE OF
Food Waste in Australian Households
Evidence for designing interventions
KELLOGG AUSTRALIA RECOGNISED AS EMPLOYER OF CHOICE FOR GENDER EQUALITY
Iconic cereal and snack maker in Australia and New Zealand, Kellogg was today recognised as a leader in gender equality and awarded the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) in Australia. Kellogg’s Australia has been investing in a strong pipeline of female talent and developing future female leaders. In 2021 46% of new hires were female which is an improvement from 43% in 2020. Anthony Holme, Managing Director at Kellogg’s Australia and New Zealand said, “I’m delighted Kellogg’s has been acknowledged as one of the best employers in Australia for our commitment, dedication and the action we have taken to accomplish gender equality. This includes our achievement in addressing the gender pay gap. We have made strong progress and are proud to be a leading change maker.” The EOCGE citation is the WGEA’s leading practice recognition program. The citation aims to promote and improve gender equality for women and men, while acknowledging the historically disadvantaged position of women in the workplace. A voluntary program, this citation is open to all compliant employers covered under the WGEA Act.
NEW HEALTHY KIDS MENU
ROAD TRIPS ARE ABOUT TO GET MUCH EASIER AS PARENTS CAN NOW OPT FOR “HAPPIER” AND HEALTHIER MEALS FOR THE KIDS WHILE ON THE ROAD, THANKS TO OLIVER’S NEW KIDS’ MENU PACKED WITH ESSENTIALS NUTRIENTS AND FLAVOUR.
Designed by Oliver’s own accredited Dietitian, the menu achieve the right balance of fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole-foods in every meal. Oliver’s developed a fun and tasty menu kids can enjoy in the car on the road or when it’s time to make a pit-stop. Oliver’s knows the importance of encouraging kids to have healthy eating habits, from a very young age, which is why they have made sure the menu is not only fun but achieves the right balance of fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole-grain foods in every meal. There is something for even the fussiest little eater to love, from healthy burgers and sweet potato chips to plant-based nuggets and a specialty kids drink range. Oliver’s has partnered with leading suppliers including UDS plant-based burgers, Remedy for their Junior kombucha range, and IKU for plant-based golden rice nuggets. Find an Olivers store near you, or a plan a stop on your trip CLICK HERE