REDLAND City Council wants to put a plan in place to cut thousands of tonnes of food waste and save households about $1000 annually.
It is working with Griffith University on developing a social marketing campaign to reduce the amount of food waste that goes in local bins.
Mayor Karen Williams said the Waste Not Want Not campaign was designed to show residents how they could cut food waste.
“The average Australian household throws away over $1000 worth of food every year and locally about a quarter of what goes in our bins is food waste, equating to 9400 tonnes or about 1175 waste collection trucks full of food wasted every year,” she said.
“This food waste costs the city money and impacts the wider environment, with much of it going to landfill, turning into methane and greenhouse gas emissions.’’
The partnership with Griffith was designed to change behaviour patterns by showing residents how to reduce and reuse food waste.
Professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele, director of Social Marketing @ Griffith, said the pilot campaign goals were to help Redlanders make the most of what was already in their fridge.
“The program includes a short online survey for residents to take so we can understand what foods we are working with,” Professor Rundle-Thiele said.
“Once Griffith University’s survey results are collected and final preparations completed a series of community activities will be rolled out across the city to help reduce food waste, save money and the environment.
“These activities will include a series of events like cooking demonstrations at local shopping centres to show residents how they can use left over food to make their next meal.
“We are really excited about the pilot campaign. Imagine making spaghetti and meatballs using your leftover pizza. It is ideas such as these that are coming to a Redlands shopping centre in 2017.”
Take the survey at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au/waste-not-want-not.
