Leading Australian food rescue organisation, OzHarvest, today launches their innovative new campaign, Use It Up, to coincide with the UN International Food Loss and Waste Day, Wednesday 29 September.
Every year, Australian households waste 2.5 million tonnes of food, and Use It Up aims to make it easier to waste less at home through unique consumer insights funded by the Australian Government, conducted by BehaviourWorks and gathered from an Australian-first behavioural research study by the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
OzHarvest CEO and founder, Ronni Kahn AO said Australia’s 2030 target of halving our national food wastage is looming fast, and we urgently need to change.
“We cannot watch what’s happening to our planet and wait for others to fix this – tackling household food waste is the low hanging fruit and where we can get results fast,” Ms Kahn said.
“Not everyone can afford an electric car or solar panels but reducing the amount of food we waste is something we are all able to do. People are blown away when they learn the number one thing they can do to take climate action starts right now in their kitchen.
“OzHarvest have been fighting food waste for 17 years, but to revolutionise behaviour at home, we teamed up with BehaviourWorks Australia to understand the most impactful way households can reduce their waste,” she said.
“The overwhelming answer was to Use It Up – a simple behaviour that can save food, save money and save the planet. To get the nation on board, we’ve developed the Use It Up tape, a world first product that makes it easy and fun to see what food needs using up in your fridge or pantry, which can then be transformed into your next meal.”
Federal Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said the government is committed to halving food waste to landfill by 2030 and that we all have a part to play.
“Use It Up shows that small changes in the kitchen can deliver real savings and reduce the amount of food thrown in the bin and ending up in landfill,” Ms Ley said.
Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction Trevor Evans said there are significant sustainability benefits when we reduce food waste.
“No-one likes wasting food, but the reality is that most of us do and 70 per cent of the food we waste is perfectly edible,” Mr Evans said.
“The research shows the simple but effective act of using food up could save the average household enough for a holiday each year and the tape is a good visual reminder to help people get into good habits at home.”
Chef ambassadors for OzHarvest and campaign advocates Neil Perry AM and Colin Fassnidge are lending their support by sharing their favourite Use It Up recipes.
“A jazzed-up version of bubble and squeak is my go-to recipe as it’s something my dad always used to cook, and you can use up most of what you have in the fridge,” Mr Perry said.
“As a chef, I hate the thought of any food going to waste; as a dad, I know the challenges of managing the household fridge,” Mr Fassnidge said.
“Spending so much time at home in lockdown means I am generally using up something every day. My Use It Up advice is you don’t always need a recipe, just experiment with your cooking – your family will tell you what works!”
A self-declared Crap Housewife, TV personality and author Jessica Rowe said she is constantly forgetting about food in her fridge and considers it one of her worst habits.
“My fridge is usually a disaster zone, which meant I was always buying produce I already had. I’m not proud of how much food I wasted from not knowing what was shoved at the back of shelves. The Use It Up tape has helped me organise my fridge and now I’m wasting much less. If I can do it, anyone can!” Ms Rowe said.
The Use It Up campaign will be shared across the internet with tools, tips, and tricks on how people can get started at home, and a range of recipes on the OzHarvest website.
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