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How can we reduce food waste from households and businesses and divert this material from landfill?
Now Closed
This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 18 June to 28 August 2020. Find out more about the consultation process. Below is a record of the engagement.
Help us develop the next food waste strategy to help reduce and divert household and business food waste.
Read the Valuing our Food Waste: South Australia’s strategy to reduce and divert household and business food waste and have your say on our proposed actions to reduce food waste by commenting below.
Comments closed
Absolutely the next step is to divert food waste. But it needs to be done in conjunction with legislation on plastic waste so that where consumers feel the need to put fresh fruit and vegetables in a bag, those bags supplied should be COMPOSTABLE( BIODEGRADABLE IS A FURPHY), "In relation to action no. 10. "Consider including non-compostable produce bags in the list of single-use plastics items to be phased-out in Turning the Tide on Single-Use Plastics: Next Steps", please do add plastic produce bags as soon as possible. CUSTOMERS NEED EDUCATION TO TAKE OWN FOOD BAGS, HOPEFULLY MADE FROM REUSED MATERIAL) In S.A. we have the choice of locally-made certified compostable produce bags, paper bags, leaving produce loose, or bringing our own reusable produce bags. There's no excuse for single-use plastics here"
Hi Maurene, thank you for your interest and suggestions. There is certainly confusion in regard to biodegradable, compostable and degradable labelling, which was highlighted in the 'Turning the Tide on Single-Use Plastics' consultation undertaken by Green Industries last year. The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation has been working to address this issue nationally: http://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/news/new-guidance-to-address-confusion-over-compostable-plastic-packaging
As seen in the Holdfast Bay supermarket compostable bag trial, providing compostable bags for fruit and vegetables, and promoting the use of these in kitchen caddy systems, can result in a significant increase in food waste diversion. To help reduce contamination in kerbside systems, using only certified compostable barrier bags – "no logo, no go-go" – is a key message in the latest Which Bin campaign. You can find these two videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFmezGg8DE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvUz7zs4MU.
Avoiding using any single-use bags where possible, either by purchasing produce loose or using reusable produce bags, is an even better option.
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Have also given a plug to remove all plastic food coverings – wrapped spoiled vegetables are especially hard to compost and more likely to end up in landfill.
It will thus reduce environmental harms from food waste, as well as losses from other wasted resources. I understand in some countries vendors are obliged to accept back any unwanted packaging [by law]. This would create a great disincentive for unnecessary packaging – of everything from bananas to television sets. If packaging is home compostable, there will be multiple avenues for reuse / recovery, even if returned / left in stores. Addressing postal packaging needs similar attention.
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My name is Laura, I am a mum and teacher, and admin to a passionate FB group Reduce Reuse Recycle in Radelaide of 6.4k+ members. Join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/789511804493926
Firstly, I really enjoyed reading the Valuing our Food Waste consultation draft. As I was reading, I would think of ideas and then it was already written soon after! You’ve nearly thought of everything!
I agree and am excited about all the proposed actions such as:
"9. Support the expansion of the compostable produce bag trial to other retail outlets, particularly where area-wide food waste collection systems have been implemented" – especially those made in SA by BioBag!
"10. Consider including non-compostable produce bags in the list of single-use plastics items to be phased-out in Turning the Tide on Single-Use Plastics: Next Steps" I’d prefer no. 10 to begin with “Include non-compostable produce bags” rather than “consider” ;)
Love actions 11-13! As I am more and more involved with these opportunities through the Semaphore Compost Network and community gardens.
"14. Continue state-wide recycling campaign Which Bin? to increase and improve three-bin system recycling, including food waste diversion through the green organics bin and home composting" Can there be more billboards for those who do not watch or listen to mainstream TV or commercial radio? What about sponsored ads in social media?
With the increase of takeaway, more can be done to educate businesses and customers to use and place certified compostable packaging in green bins. The work of Plastic Free SA is exciting so keep doing this. Could Plastic Free SA also be on TV, radio and billboards? All green bins in SA (or at least Adelaide) should accept certified compostable items and advertise it. At the moment, not all do. With the ban of oxo-degradable (and hopefully biodegradable (not compostable) plastic, and non-compostable coffee cups), this would mean less confusion and contamination of organics bins.
On page 20 you say, “By 2022, all residential properties in the metropolitan Adelaide have access to an organics collection system”. Wonderful. In addition to having the provision for the three bin system, could development applications for new dwellings including high-density developments require space for garden and home compost? Could all councils offer rebate for new compost bin and/or a reduced rate if the household is keeping food scraps out of landfill AND green bin?
I put 90% of organics in my home compost or worm farm, so only put each of the three bins out 3-4 times a year. My neighbours put their landfill bin our 52 times a year and recycling and FOGO bin out 26 times a year. My rates should be less.
"25. Develop minimum standards for segregated waste and recycling systems for SA Government sites, including organics recycling where available and work with agencies to implement"
As the sustainability leader at a SA high school and from many conversations in person and online with teachers, I can see more support/legislation is needed for schools to reduce food waste to landfill. The KESAB Wipe out Waste program is wonderful but perhaps underfunded. Mandating organics bins and/or on-site composting, organising it for schools and funding this will reduce huge amounts of food waste coming from the school yard, offices, Home Ec kitchens, etc.
I could go on but instead I will read and reply to other's comments :)
Hi Laura. Congratulations on your own waste minimisation efforts and building a large community taking action to reduce, reuse and recycle! It is great to hear you are supportive of many of the proposed actions and thank you for your thoughts on additional actions that could be considered.
Education on certified compostable service ware items is undertaken through both the Plastic Free SA program and the statewide Which Bin? program. All green bins in Adelaide metropolitan council areas accept certified compostable bags and items. This Which Bin ads have focussed on compostable bags in the most recent videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFmezGg8DE and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvUz7zs4MU
With information on takeaway containers at:
https://www.whichbin.sa.gov.au/tips/could-your-takeaway-container-be-composted-
There is still confusion around packaging, what 'certified' means, how to interpret labelling etc - some work is also happening at the national level to address this:
https://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/events/event/apco-community-meetings-compostable-guidelines
Encouraging organics and/or composting in schools is definitely something to work towards, though this will need to be addressed at a system level through contracts rather than a school by school basis. And as with kerbside residential, this needs to happen in conjunction with education so that the systems are used correctly and not contaminated. In addition, it may not be feasible for all schools across the state, such as in regional areas where there are no green bin services.
Green Industries, in association with other partners, developed and released a guide for planners and developers to incorporate recycling in multi unit dwellings (including organic/green bins), including high rise developments:
https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/publications-waste-management-residential-mixed-use-development
It may not always be feasible for high density developments to include space for onsite composting.
Your suggestion of a rebate or rate reduction for keeping food waste out of the bins altogether is one to put to your local council.
Community gardens are a great way to reconnect people with their sources of food - we're also less likely to waste something we've grown ourselves, when it's our personal effort that has gone into growing it. There's an evolving map of community gardens and food swaps in Adelaide here:
https://tinyurl.com/shareadelaidemap
Thank you for your comments and contributions to the discussion.
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Thanks for taking feedback on this important initiative. A few things come to mind.
In an ideal world we would have the right amount of food grown and distributed to the people who need it, without too many food miles, limited packaging and no waste. Your brief was not so brief...there is so much to look at for action.
On a rural property, we grow some fruit and veg, have chickens and goats, compost farm, garden and household waste and use natural materials for mulching in the garden. We have developed -after some years of practice, some good habits for recycling organic materials and using excess organic material for animal fodder. However it wasn’t always this way and I am familiar with living a very different kind of busy life in the ‘burbs and also cities. When looking at changing habits of households to reduce food waste, ( or to introduce other environmentally friendly habits) in my personal experience, there needs to be the perfect intersection of motivation (why?), education (what to do differently) and time (to do it). If we are lacking in any of these areas, then the new activity or habit falls to the wayside. ( There have been many times when I have chastised myself for wasting something, or not recycling something, due to lack of time. ) Training and educating kids to lead in this area could be the most effective way to change habits within families and to build skills for life. Otherwise Incremental changes for the household, seem to be more effective than expecting big sudden changes of behaviour. Perhaps introducing tips and tricks through food packaging/ labelling, perhaps leaflets in the grocery sections of shops, Social media, industry leaders like celebrity chefs, lifestyle programs. Certainly programs like “the war on waste” gain a lot of discussion. Also Facebook pages can be very effective for topical issues like this. People just need to know what pages to follow.
Another area of interest to me is to connect growers and retailers who have excess fruit and veg, with farmers who need it in times of drought or post bushfire. This is more an adhoc situation, (although drought and bushfires are not so infrequent these days.) Rather than have excess produce rot at the growers property, or be sent for processing into another animal product, cut out the middle process (which uses a lot of energy), when possible, and have it go directly to the farmers who need it. Perhaps link up community groups to be the go betweens, to ferry the produce to where it needs to go? Often times the farmer would find it too time consuming to collect the fallen fruit or excess veg and do something with it, so volunteers may be useful in this situation.? Maybe something like a “BlazeAid” type of group that can instantly form when needed, to slot right in after hail storms, etc to gather the produce that is no good for sale and to take it to where it will be consumed. Pipe dream maybe?
A note about trench composting....this can be problematic by attracting rats and foxes. Even the family dog will try to get the compost unless it has a decent barrier. I find above ground compost bins to most effective. Prunings and piles of weeds just rot over time above ground. Animal manures go in the post bin or in piles above ground. Solarising (Covering the pile) with black plastic Is a good way to speed up composting and kills weed seeds.
Wondering, have you audited how many work places have facilitated the collection of worker’s food scraps and collected it for composting? Perhaps this is an area in which this initiative can grow?
How easy is it for businesses to connect with someone who will be able to take their unsold goods and distribute the products to food banks? Do businesses throw it out In the rubbish until they are approached for excess and unwanted products? What are the barriers in place to ensuring all Edible food that can be distributed to needy people, is distributed to those who could use it?
Community gardens are a great way to connect people with a passion for gardening, growing food, sharing produce to reduce waste, gathering seeds, recycling pots and tools, and composting waste. They also meet people’s needs for affiliation with others. On a smaller scale I have seen (I think on ABC Gardening Australia), where people gift their left over organic material to others who have a communal compost bin in their front yard. Great idea. It everyone’s cup of tea, but different ideas to suit different segments of the population.
As for the wonky “abnormal” fruit that is sold in supermarkets, can this be mandated to be located further to the front of stores so more people buy it? It is perfectly fine and tasty to eat.
Some stores have food tastings or Cooking demonstrations. Perhaps some demonstrations of ways to use excess fruit and veg, eg make stock from excess veg, including the vegetable leaves and peelings, freezing fruit and veg, some tips and tricks for people who don’t know how?
A great read and great ideas, Lesley.
One FB group of people trying to educate and be educated is Reduce Reuse Recycle in Radelaide https://www.facebook.com/groups/789511804493926
Industry groups such as Jeffries, East Waste, KESAB, etc, post to our page and reply to questions :)
Love the idea for supermarkets to do cooking demonstrations to reduce food waste!
My question is, are juice manufacturers using or could be mandated to use "imperfect produce"
There is a lot of concern about the use of plastic covering fruit and veg but often this reduces food waste. Could there be a bigger push/incentives/legislation for compostable plastic wrap like that of BioBag who wrapped cucumbers? Although I dislike pre-cut and plastic wrapped fruit and veg, if this is only done with imperfect produce wrapped in compostable packaging, perhaps the reduction in food waste outweighs the packaging waste.
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Thanks Laura. I love that idea of only using the lower grade “abnormal” looking produce for the pre-cut products , juice, or frozen/cooked meals and also only using biodegradable wrappings on cardboard containers, to replace plastic/foam packaging where packaging must be provided. We can’t get away from it, there will be people who will only buy FRuit and veg if it is already prepared for them in some way. And some who will buy it occasionally even though they otherwise buy whole produce.
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Hi Lesley, thank you for your feedback and comprehensive thoughts on this consultation.
You have highlighted many key points within the food production and supply chain where there are opportunities to take action to reduce food waste and your observations around drivers for behaviour change needing to be backed by education, systems and timing are considered. As you note, awareness and change can often come about through the household making incremental changes to improve management, so that less food becomes waste.
The Which Bin? campaign was developed following extensive research and this is continued through the delivery phase of this education campaign to ensure the messages and impact are achieving outcomes. Behavioural research is also being undertaken through the Fight Food Waste CRC with Green Industries SA currently involved in two research projects, one at a national level and one in South Australia:
https://fightfoodwastecrc.com.au
With regard to excess produce, it is often the time and cost inputs in collecting fallen and excess fruit or vegetables and transporting to where it can be distributed which is the barrier. Through the National Food Waste Strategy, there is work being undertaken to develop a food rescue and relief sector action plan to support redistribution of food that would otherwise be wasted. You can find more information at https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/food-waste, including the proposed development of a voluntary commitment program for industry. Retailers reviewing specifications for fresh fruit and vegetables to increase the amount of produce that makes it from the farm to the store is an opportunity that may best be undertaken at a national level due to national markets and specifications.
Green Industries SA, in its previous form of Zero Waste SA, has undertaken many business audits relating to waste, energy and water - you can see some case studies here:
https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/publications-zero-waste-case-studies
OzHarvest and Foodbank are two food relief charities - their work is regularly promoted via various channels across mainstream and social media, as well as events and word of mouth. Any business is welcome to contact them about donating:
https://www.foodbank.org.au/support-us/make-a-donation/donate-food/?state=sa
https://www.ozharvest.org/give-a-little-love/donate-food/
OzHarvest also have some good resources for food waste avoidance and reduction:
https://www.ozharvest.org/fightfoodwaste/resources/
There are also many informal ways people are addressing food waste, through food and produce swaps, online or at gatherings. And community gardens are a great way to reconnect people with their sources of food - we're also less likely to waste something we've grown ourselves, when it's our personal effort that has gone into growing it. There's an evolving map of community gardens and food swaps in Adelaide here: https://tinyurl.com/shareadelaidemap
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I think things like this should start at school level to encourage children to be mindful with food waste. We also need to target restaurants and hotels - I know my mum and granny had issues with the amount of food they were served when they asked specifically for smaller meals - why isn't this an option to reduce waste.
Hi Kylie, thanks for your comment. It’s positive to hear that your family are being proactive and requesting smaller meals to try and reduce food wasted when eating out. It is unfortunate that they had the experience of still being provided too much in this case, but highlighting this with the business will help demonstrate to them that this is a concern for their customers. The Food Waste Strategy proposed actions include developing tool kits and resources for businesses to provide tips on reducing food waste through purchasing, preparation and service points. In terms of education, KESAB deliver the Wipe Out Waste program for schools in South Australia and you can find more information on this at www.wow.sa.gov.au – reducing food waste and composting leftovers is a key part of this education program.
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Hi Kylie! Great points!
I'm a high school teacher and leader of sustainability and although we have some passionate staff and students, are a proud Wipe Out Waste school and have regular support from KESAB and NRM staff, we still need more help to reduce food waste and have food waste recycling (collection or on-site composting). So much red tape!
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A large amount of food is discarded when Use By dates are reached; also when fruit/vegetables are 'imperfect' (i.e. bent carrots, dimpled apples). We'd happily eat this food in our own homes, so why throw it out to landfill? Donations to community support groups like Foodbank should be a mandatory first option. Those organisations feed 1000s of families nationally every day, and most people will cook with rejected blemished food that is still fresh. I often cook vegetables we've grown that look... not pretty. We can feed a lot more people at not cost, if we put our minds to it.
Hi Martin, and thank you for your comment. To clarify, 'Use By' dates are applied where food should be consumed by that date and retail stores cannot sell food after the Use By date has passed. 'Best Before' dates indicate that the quality of the food is highest ahead of the date on the label. Organisations managing food donations have requirements for food items that they can accept outside of the ‘Best Before’ dates to ensure that the quality and safety of the food distributed.
Making food donations to food relief organisations, such as Foodbank, mandatory for farmers, manufacturers or retailers is one approach, however it must be balanced with the needs of those organisations to ensure that it does not lead to excess and unsuitable food, or large quantities of food with low nutritional value, being donated to food rescue organisations which then becomes their effort and expense to manage.
As you have demonstrated with your own choices, consumers are open to using produce that may not meet the strict specifications for produce set by some retailers. In response to this, some supermarket chains have released ranges of ‘off-specification’ produce and customers can also demonstrate their purchasing power through shopping with outlets that offer a wider range of produce aesthetics.
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Thanks for your response - I learn something every day. As a p/t volunteer at a local (Adelaide) Foodbank store, I know many individuals and families are grateful for any food that's still in fresh condition, regardless of appearance. We should all be supporting outlets selling 'imperfect' vegetables/fruit. We are, after all, 'consumer behaviour' :)
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Very much so, Martin. The highest and best use of food is human consumption, which is preferable wherever possible (subject to it meeting needs of food rescue organisations and individuals), and Green Industries (in its previous incarnation as Zero Waste SA) has provided funding to both Foodbank and OzHarvest to this end.
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I am so thankful that you are addressing this subject. Overall, I find that South Australians are very careful about reducing food waste compared to countries like the USA (my homeland). I've learned only recently about ways to cook with items I previously would have tossed out, such as carrot tops (leaves), broccoli and cauliflower leaves. I've also gotten in the habit of trying to grow kitchen scraps such as avocado pits, celery, potatoes, tomato seeds, pumpkin seeds, and other scraps with quite a bit of success. If you could invest in an advertising campaign on this concept for the general public and some training dollars for chefs to assist in broadening the South Australian palate, we could significantly cut back on green waste.
Hi Monique, thank you for your comment and great to hear that you are now using as much of the produce as possible, and starting to grow new food with some of the rest! You may find some further ideas on this at the Fight Food Waste, It’s Easy As website http://www.fightfoodwastecrc.com.au/itseasyas/ which provides links to a number of websites with tips (that can be used at home, or in a commercial kitchen) to avoid food waste and also links to the Which Bin website www.whichbin.sa.gov.au for what to do with any food that can’t be used.
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Adelaide's hot summers can make it really hard to keep a traditional above-ground worm farm cool and functioning. I've heard of people losing all their worms during heatwaves and giving up on the concept. These days there are "in ground" worm farms available from places like Bunnings, which are far-better suited to our climate. At their leisure, the worms can move out of the worm farm and into the surrounding garden bed to find cooler spots or areas with more food (if you forget to feed them). So these worm farms are more forgiving than the traditional models. They require less work and they are also cheaper. I think they should be promoted for home composters.
If your worm farm can't take any more food waste, there is another, even simpler way of composting which I didn't see mentioned in the Valuing Our Food Waste Draft. It's digging a hole in your garden, placing your food scraps in and covering the soil back over. Some call it "trench composting" and I think it is often overlooked despite being such a simple and cheap way of home composting. The worms love it.
In regards to the kitchen caddies and compostable bags, it really is time they are rolled out across all of metropolitan Adelaide. It shouldn't just be an opt-in system for some council areas. Sure, some people will throw the caddies straight into the garbage bin, but it will still be worth it for the large number of people who start diverting their food waste from landfill.
Thank you Heath for raising the approach of 'trench composting' as an option for home composting. Concerning your point about city-wide roll out of kitchen caddies, Green Industries SA has recently awarded a number of councils funding to help establish or improve food waste collection systems, which means better access to kitchen caddies, compostable bags and awareness/education for residents: https://davidspeirs.com.au/news/boost-to-household-food-waste-recycling-funding, and funding for these activities is proposed to continue.
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Great points about worm farms, Heath! I ordered a Subpod after my worms fried in the summer in a worm "cafe" farm even though I did many things to keep them cool. I also added some small "worm farms" dotted around my garden made with large pots with holes drilled into them and a lid for small amounts of scraps but the main purpose for worms to aerate and fertilise the soil. Free or subsidised education and financial support to buy compost bins or in-ground worm farms could help more people get into this 💚
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Great thinking Laura - agree, there is nothing worse (our staff having experienced this in our office on a Monday morning following a hot summer weekend) than a worm 'frie-off', including for the poor worms. Where the land/space allows, putting them underground seems a far more sensible approach, especially if we are to face many more hotter days.
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One of the most relevant methods of reducing food waste ( and other types of rubbish) from landfills is using the food waste to produce power. Waste to Energy (WtE) is a very broad term that covers any process that converts waste into energy, or an energy-carrying product, such as a gas or oil. Despite the existence of many different technologies, the aims of all WtE processes are essentially the same:
■ Reduce the volume of waste and hence reduce the volume requiring disposal in landfill;
■ Reduce the biodegradable fraction of waste to zero, and
■ Produce a useful commodity (typically electricity and/or heat) from non-recyclable waste.
WtE can be split into two main categories:
■ Thermal - includes combustion, gasification and pyrolysis, related processes all of which subject waste to high temperatures but with varying oxygen concentrations.
■ Biological – anaerobic digestion (AD).
In WA, Macquarie Capital estimates that approximately 486,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided per year, compared with the carbon dioxide emitted from grid generated electricity in Western Australia. The facility will also export 36 MW of electricity to the local grid per year, sufficient to power more than 50,000 households.
Therefore, we should invest in this idea to add additional renewable energy options for SA's power production. We are currently leading the world in renewable energy and there are more methods available to us than solar and wind. Lets embrace waste to energy production and power our clean future.
Thank you very much for your comments. In South Australia, we recover more than 80% of material away from landfill, and our waste recovery effort has certainly shifted from a reliance on landfills as the primary method of waste disposal to a focus on waste avoidance, reuse and recycling.
Our State, through our Waste Strategy, adopts the internationally recognised waste management hierarchy which preferences the treatment of wastes in order of avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover (including energy from waste), treat and dispose. Energy from waste is certainly higher on the hierarchy than landfill disposal. Therefore these technologies may be suitable where there are instances where waste cannot be avoided, provided they do not circumvent viable options of higher value uses for material (for example, in reuse and recycling). It is also noted there are other issues to consider in establishing energy from waste facilities – including capital and operating costs, whether there is an ongoing feedstock of materials, and any issues regarding waste by-products which may be generated and disposed of (and in some cases needing disposal through specialised hazardous waste facilities).
For further information, you may also wish to see the Environment Protection Authority’s Energy from Waste position statement:
https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/files/14206_efw_position_statement.pdf
For further detail about South Australia’s recycling performance, you may wish to see further information here:
https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/SArecycling
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More education required on differentiating organic, landfill and recycling is needed. And government offices need to drop the term "co-mingled" for recyclables. Nobody knows what it means.
Also the chasing arrows symbol should be replaced with a simple yes/no as the current numbers in the arrows are not understood.
Hi Paper White
The Which Bin? campaign you may have seen recently is part of the State government's effort to improve education and awareness about the different waste streams at household level:
https://www.whichbin.sa.gov.au/which-bin-campaign
You raise a good point about 'industry' language and symbols vs what the community understands. Maybe the term should simply be 'yellow bin recyclables'. The recycling arrow symbols can also be confusing, as while items bearing the numbers can technically be recycled, not all of them can through the yellow bin system.
The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) has been developed to help with this confusion and you may have noticed this label increasingly being included on packaging. Instead of a generic recycling symbol, the ARL indicates how the packaging should be disposed e.g. box – recycling, inner bag – return to store soft plastics. More and more products are starting to have packaging which identifies that soft plastic can go into the REDcycle system available at supermarkets. The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Planet Ark and PREP Design work to deliver this program which 270 organisations are already using. You can find more information at https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/arl
Having clear information presented at the point where it is needed by someone about to make a recycling decision is critical.
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Use https://www.goterra.com.au/ which uses maggots to convert food waste into protein to feed animals at a lower cost than traditional waste removal.
Hi Stuart, thanks for your suggestion. Technologies like this which convert food waste into an animal feed are certainly a possibility as part of the future food waste management options, especially for on-farm food waste or streams of material where contamination can be managed. It may also be a suitable option where the supply chain between food waste-processing-animal feed is relatively short.
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Education is the tool. Many are not educated in saving reheating for freezing left over food for another day. My grannies always said a curry or stew tastes better on the 2nd reheat. It makes a quick healthy lunch too. Family upbringing is a key element of education and management of food and the household budget. . Buying and the cost of food wastage needs careful management if one is on a budget. When family education is part of the management of the household CEO food buying and waste is minimized.
Foods near an expiry date can be cooked. Who would figure? Perhaps food wastage is part of the wealth of a society too. My red lid bin has been out once in 15 months.
Hi Sandra, and great job on your waste minimisation, only needing to put the landfill bin out every 15 months! Yes, it is easier to waste things when there is a perception of abundance, because we don't see the costs (energy, water, labour, transport) that goes into what becomes waste. Food literacy - knowing a curry tastes better the day after, and even the day after that - is part of avoiding food waste. Having the skills to know what to do with leftovers, how to cook is a big part of not generating food waste in the first place.
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Encouraging households and businesses to divert food waste from landfill. Education so people get a better understanding of how to divert food waste. Community composting, community gardens, community kerbside gardens are all good initiatives to get the ball rolling.
We grow a lot of our fruit and vegetables, and have rabbits, chickens and ducks to help with waste. In return they provide eggs and manure for the garden.
Thanks Darren, and well done on your efforts to grow your own. You may have seen Vinnie on TV or in the media again lately encouraging people to put their food waste in the green bin, talking about compostable bags and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvUz7zs4MU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fonlY2EAyl8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFmezGg8DE
We've also recently awarded grant funding to a range of councils to help them deliver green bin services to householders: https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/food-waste-incentives
Valuing food, so that less food becomes waste, is about culture, and this can be supported through exactly the kinds of initiatives you mentioned (community and verge gardens, food swaps etc). If you're not already aware of it, the SA Urban Food Network are documenting these and undertaking events to help others learn more: https://saurbanfood.org
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The report stated that organics collection fees for the commercial sector are higher than general waste collection fees. Perhaps the fees for organics could be subsidised by the state government to provide an incentive for businesses to divert food waste from landfill.
Thanks for your feedback and thoughts on this Helen. The State Government, through Green Industries SA, provided incentives for commercial food organics collections from 2008 to 2015 to increase the number of food waste collections rolled out across metropolitan Adelaide and improve collection densities, increasing the economies of scale. Differences in collection fees are reducing, and certainly larger organics generators can make significant savings on waste and recycling costs when introducing organics services in place of general waste collections. There are, however, smaller sites where cost savings may not currently be achieved due to minimum collection arrangements required or use of council collections for other waste streams. The actions proposed in 'Valuing our Food Waste' target initiatives that can implemented to increase collection densities and reduce food waste sent to landfill from the commercial sector, without the need for ongoing financial subsidies.
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Food is sacred, it has been said, and I totally agree.Have a look at pictures of starving children in Yemen, India, malnourished under developed kids in Papua New Guinea. It is important to acknowledge world hunger in our affluent society. We need to re-set our values around food. Educational initiatives from all levels of government please. I have my home composting system working well, I buy only what I need, It's all about one's personal values. Food past use buy dates in shops is thrown away even when it is still safe to eat.
I know from personal experience that mountains of perfectly good food, whole meals are routinely discarded in aged care, hospitals, cruise ships and school canteens. It's all wrong and need to change . Management and bureaucracies need to do better, they need to understand the issues.
Thanks Simone, for your feedback. The Food Waste Strategy is something that can only be effective if a sense of ownership and agency is in place not just in the waste industry and local government, but with us all. Those working in aged care, hospitals, canteens etc are the best placed to know the particular culture, the logistics and needs of their daily operations - Green Industries SA has done extensive work to support the aged care, health and education sectors with waste and recycling. Education can also come not just from government, but through the many wonderful examples in communities, such as those which can be discovered through the SA Urban Food Network (urban farms, community gardens, food swaps): https://saurbanfood.org/case-studies/
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I believe the food waste strategy needs to encompass the whole food industry and first start on farms before food even arrives at a retail outlet. This is mostly due to supermarkets and consumers having ridiculous cosmetic standards. I saw on the "War on Waste" perfectly good fruit being thrown away because it was too small, too big even the wrong shape! Relationships between all major supermarkets and food rescue organisations eg Second Bite needs to be strengthened. A large scale education compaign to value food eg food recycling not food waste - From Buy only what you need and if you do have food waste then mandatory composting for households and businesses - fines imposed if we do not comply. The differences between biodegradable, compostable and degradable to avoid contamination. Society's perception of food waste needs to change through education. Food waste is a valuable commodity that equates to $$. Educate people that it is one of the easiest ( we need to make it easy to do) and best things we can do for the environment and tackle climate change. Education is the key but it needs to start from the beginning right through to the end of the food waste.
Thank you for your feedback and comments, Jane.
As you have noted, food waste is generated along the entire food supply chain and there are many points where action is required. 'Valuing our Food Waste' sets out actions that will be led by Green Industries SA to address food waste generated within South Australia by households and businesses – food waste that is most likely to enter the waste management system in South Australia.
These actions are to be implemented alongside national activities under the National Food Waste Strategy http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/food-waste which includes establishing a Voluntary Commitment Program for industry. Given the national food supply markets and retailers that operate in Australia, there are some actions which will require a national approach. Avoiding food waste and redirecting quality surplus food to those in need are certainly actions that need to be taken - many supermarkets currently have arrangements with food rescue organisations - but still need to be supported by household and business organics collection systems and organics processing infrastructure to divert inedible food and other organics into compost and soil improvement products, keeping these nutrients circulating within the food cycle.
There is a lot of confusion in regard to biodegradable, compostable and degradable labelling, which was highlighted in the 'Turning the Tide on Single-Use Plastics' consultation undertaken by Green Industries last year. To help reduce contamination in kerbside systems, using certified compostable barrier bags – "no logo, no go-go" – is a key message in the latest Which Bin campaign. You can find these two videos at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFmezGg8DE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvUz7zs4MU.
Food waste (which includes inedible food waste like bones and peelings) is still 40% of what turns up in kerbside household waste bins, and food waste is heavy. As the waste levy is $140/tonne in metro Adelaide, there is a significant financial disincentive to send it to landfill (and of course food in landfill generates methane, which is 20 x more a potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide). The true cost of food waste is not just the cost of managing it once it becomes waste, but also the cost to purchase it, along with the externalities of embedded energy, water, nutrients, labour etc. Many Australians are disconnected from where and how food is produced, and experience it as something that only appears in stores, in abundance. Food and food systems literacy is critical to helping people understand the true value of food, and in addition to formal education and public awareness approaches, community gardens, food swaps, school kitchen gardens, and urban farms are tangible ways to connect to how food is produced, and the skills and inputs needed.
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why is there even a discussion? The food waste hierarchy triangle is perfect. We know that all organics need to be collected and composted. Education, children at school, waste recycling tours, ads on media may help prevent domestic food waste but the fact that large scale food waste - processing/market/supermarket/hospitality, is still an issue is outrageous. It's pure laziness and "time = money", excuses that all food industry is not doing their bit. Every business involving food should be registered for checks and have to pay for all landfill by bulk and weight. They'd be separating all their refuse immediately if the cost was high enough.
Hi Sarah. All sectors, including industry, need to do more when it comes to reducing food waste.
In 2019, the National Food Waste Baseline was released which showed that in 2016-17, Australia produced 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain finding approximately 34 per cent of food waste was generated by households, 31 per cent by primary production and agricultural pursuits and 25 per cent by the manufacturing sector:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/25e36a8c-3a9c-487c-a9cb-66ec15ba61d0/files/national-food-waste-baseline-final-assessment.pdf
Waste and recycling collection services for businesses are generally undertaken by commercial collection companies. However, some smaller businesses may access services provided by their local council. The solid waste levy is applied to waste material sent to landfill in SA and currently sits at $140 per tonne in metropolitan areas ($70 per tonne for non-metropolitan) acting as a financial disincentive to dispose to landfill. As food waste is often heavy, avoiding the generation of this material or diverting from landfill helps to reduce business costs.
You may be surprised to learn that audits reveal food waste is still on average 40%, by weight, of what is turning up in household red/blue landfill bins at the kerbside in Adelaide, so we definitely still have work to do there, as not everyone knows they can, or are putting food in the green bin.
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very sad that so many people don't care enough to bother
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One of the big reasons why there is so much food waste these days is urban infill, small blocks, more people living in units and high-rises, etc. All contributing to far fewer homes with their own gardens growing their own food. Those with gardens would never waste good garden-food by throwing it in the bin.
Try encouraging gardens. Encourage and help people to get out into nature, to plant and grow things.
Not only will that help with this food waste problem, there will be many other benefits also - including the greater greening of our cities, positive contribution to the climate, mental health improvements for those involved, and more.
Thanks for your comments. It is certainly a challenge to do home based composting in higher density environments with less green space. Where people cannot have individual gardens, it might be the case that there is a community garden nearby (https://communitygarden.org.au/acfcgn-directory/). That requires a bit more commitment and dedication to manage food waste, however it is a possibility.
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We have a large garden and compost bin, so all the vegie peelings go in there. Ditto fish bones. Items that won't decompose including chicken bones and eggshells go into the green bin, but I do wonder whether they will successfully be turned into compost. We have 3 green bins, very necessary when doing a major prune, and kind-hearted neighbours allow us to put one of our bins outside their home if they are not putting their own out.
In town, the Central Market and Rundle Mall, it goes against the grain to put things like banana peel or apple cores into a landfill bin. But then if you peer into the compostable bins at Womad or the Fringe you see that they contain plastic bags and other general rubbish. Some people just can't be trained, so green bins around the city would probably be a waste of effort.
It is heartening to read that soft plastics put into the Coles and Woollies bins actually do get turned into useful products. After watching War on Waste my husband is convinced all those plastic bags I assiduously collect only end up in landfill. Publicity about the end products would be a good idea, to convince the cynics.
Thanks Barbara, and well done on all your home composting efforts and use of the green bin for the things that can’t go into compost. Good to hear your neighbours are generous, and of course a lot of informal ‘bin sharing’ goes on which makes effective use of the existing infrastructure.
If you are in metro Adelaide, your green bin contents (including bones and other organics that are problematic in home compost) will go to one of two major commercial composters - Jeffries in the north (Buckland Park www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP9reBgBIB4, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxp7ZYfs-f8), Peats in the south (Willunga www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1mwNFVx9Ic), where the materials are indeed turned back into useful compost.
As you have observed, public place green bins for food scraps is much more difficult, and an issue that local authorities and event organisers have grappled with for years in any public place or event.
Check out some of the posts on Which Bin? which show what happens to plastics, both here in SA and in Victoria via the Redcycle system - perhaps you can show your husband these!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/789511804493926/permalink/2227798860665206/
http://www.facebook.com/whichbin/posts/444937126352422
http://www.facebook.com/whichbin/posts/476341559878645
http://www.facebook.com/whichbin/posts/568651693980964
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I would LOVE organics bins in public places but I've heard from many in various industries that society is not yet ready to use these correctly 😔 Try us! Then sort out the contamination 💪 That's got to cost less than landfill right? For now I take my compostables (banana peels, compostable packaging) home to my compost and green bin.
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There needs to be distinction between the 'value' of the green-waste that is collected. Food-waste has high recycle value due to the high amounts of elements and compounds it contains. Lawn cuttings are of medium value, while prunings fall into a low value. This valuing needs to be considered with regards to collection and handling processes. There is limited community return for recycling food-waste which is then mixed with shredded prunings, only for this to be distributed on parklands etc. This is both a waste of what could be used for fertiliser and potentially detrimental to both native flora, as well as the impact of runoff.
A collection process for lawn cuttings has the potential to provide supplemental feedstock for businesses making pellets as stockfeed. This is a way that city dwellers can do their bit for the farming community.
Hi Ross, thank you for your comment. In regard to nutrient value of organic waste, in many cases, food waste does have a higher nutrient value than garden waste and therefore is an excellent feedstock in the composting process. Some timbers and tree prunings are chipped and used directly in landscaping. Material collected through kerbside green bins and commercial organics collections is taken to a commercial composter and processed over a number of weeks at temperatures high enough to destroy any weeds and diseases and screened for contaminates.
This produces high quality compost products to Australian Standards for applications including landscaping, land rehabilitation, viticulture and broadacre farming and products are able to be tailored to the use.
Separate collection systems for lawn clippings and other garden waste separate to food waste collections would significantly increase collection costs and reduce efficiencies, likely to make this an unviable solution. Education and communication on what materials are included in each collection would also present a challenge, particularly with paper based products and compostable service ware which also go in the green bin.
However, there are examples of food waste streams where it is worthwhile to run separate collections. Food rescue organisations including OzHarvest, Foodbank and SecondBite, collect quality surplus food from businesses for redistribution through food relief agencies to those in need. Some material from producers or supermarkets is suitable for animal feed and is diverted to farms where allowed for under the Livestock Act 1997 in SA. In 2016-17, the National Food Waste Baseline estimated that 337,000 tonnes of food waste nationally was diverted for animal feed:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/25e36a8c-3a9c-487c-a9cb-66ec15ba61d0/files/national-food-waste-baseline-executive-summary.pdf
Diversion of offcuts for meat rendering is another high value stream. In 2017-18, 115,000 tonnes was recovered for meat rendering in South Australia with an estimated value of $88 million:
http://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/SArecycling
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Such interesting discussion and points I hadn't considered!
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I think tax payers are over the false facade surveys like this bring. It’s only going through the motions to placate us as not much ever really gets dealt with properly once and for all. How much does all this placating cost the tax payers and still problems aren’t corrected. Always driven by the almighty dollar. Our system is a joke and was not the intention of our forefathers to be run so haphazardly and even out or original jurisdictions. Something will give one day. Citizens are crying out all over the world for fairer, equitable and efficient deals from their corrupt self centred Governments. There are more of us than them!!
Hi Rachel, the last engagement this agency conducted was on Single Use Plastics.
Through our engagement, we were able to unearth and create better policy and legislation, for example, by the disability sector raising concerns about banning of disposable straws for people with certain disabilities.
https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/discussions/reducing-waste-from-single-use-plastic-products-what-are-the-best-approaches-government-could-take-to-address-the-issue-of-single-use-plastics
The associated legislation is currently in the upper house of State Parliament:
http://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/B/CURRENT/SINGLE-USE%20AND%20OTHER%20PLASTIC%20PRODUCTS%20(WASTE%20AVOIDANCE)%20BILL%202020.aspx
Feedback does get taken on board, and often the problems being grappled with are complex, and not all under the control of government, with responsibilities split between Federal, State and local government.
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Japan have a great system that totally eliminated food waste into their dumps. It’s a user pays system and so it should be. People weigh their food waste in street bins and are charged accordingly. This affects people’s buying which should effect the packaging waste produced. Having said all that! IT’S INDUSTRY CAUSING THE REAL PROBLEMS. As it hogs water from farmers and produces copies amounts of waste into our environment. Additionally, Australia produces poor grade recycled material. This is a massive business opportunity that WILL create jobs we so desperately need. It’s such a no brainer!! As the waste is second grade, all the little mans efforts are in vein. I know of places where ALL the rubbish ends up in the dump despite our efforts. That just really poor form and futile.
Japan has a great recycling culture, but it has not eliminated food waste to landfill:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/04/18/national/still-edible-food-waste-japan-drops-2017
All sectors in Australia can improve on food waste, including industry and households. In 2019, the National Food Waste Baseline was released which showed that in 2016-17, Australia produced 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain finding approximately 34 per cent of food waste was generated by households, 31 per cent by primary production and agricultural pursuits and 25 per cent by the manufacturing sector:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/25e36a8c-3a9c-487c-a9cb-66ec15ba61d0/files/national-food-waste-baseline-final-assessment.pdf
South Australia recycles 86% of its material locally, with good source separation of glass, plastics, metals and cardboard resulting in high grade streams which are in demand from markets. The market value of resources recovered in South Australia in 2017-18 was $356 million dollars. An annual independent survey is conducted each year:
http://www.facebook.com/whichbin/photos/a.391361405043328/497685104410957/?type=3&theater
In regions, sometimes the same level of service eg. green waste cannot be economically provided.
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What about providing ratepayers with a small discount as a reward for our continued efforts as individuals to divert waste from landfill? I think people would appreciate the recognition of our great work at upping our recycling rates and diverting food waste from landfills. The draft strategy mentions all the savings from diverting food waste from landfill but it's hard as an individual to actually see those benefits.
Thanks Patrick. How waste and recycling costs are applied to rates and managed within budgets is a consideration for Local Government. It is appreciated that, unlike water or energy consumption, household waste and recycling costs are not allocated to individual premises so it is more challenging to receive direct feedback on individual action to reduce waste sent to landfill.
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There is no reason that household waste and recycling costs can't be separated from general rates and charged to individual premises on a user pays basis. Weigh and photo the bin as it is emptied with penalties for contaminated bins.
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It's not why I do it and it won't change my behaviour but why am I paying the same rates as other homes that put their landfill bin out every week and recycling bin out every fortnight when I put mine out 2-3 times a year? It doesn't make sense.
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With regards to the fruit and vegetables would it be possible to have the green bins at the food outlets go directly to the Chicken and Pig Farms if not already being done. Our eggs, poultry and pork products would benefit from the waste. Could we get in touch with the farmers who have livestock to ask them to consider taking the 'food scraps'. I try to give mine to a local lady who has a handful of chickens and she appreciates it and I get rewarded by a better quality egg. This might mean taking on an extra employee to open the plastic the food comes in to separate into a 'Scraps Bin" and that cann't be a bad thing giving out extra jobs.
Hi Tracey, thanks for these thoughts and suggestions. Some food manufacturers and retailers have established a direct relationship with farmers for the purposes of providing suitable excess or damaged food for animal feed. Where these arrangements are in place, there is a need to monitor what material is diverted to ensure it is compliant with the Livestock Act 1997 and does not present any biosecurity risks. It is fantastic that you have found a local solution for your fruit and vegetable peelings and food scraps and get a return benefit!
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Provide financial subsidies to purchase home composting or worm farms: allow households to reuse organic matter at home for free and reducing carbon emissions in the pickup and logistics of moving green waste
Hi Jasper, thank you for your interest and comment. Depending on your Council area, rebates for a home compost bin or worm farm may be available or home composting workshops offered. Contact your local Council to enquire if this is available in your area.
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Naomi Szwed
24 Aug 2020
A lot of the issue with food waste comes from restaurants and cafes not disposing of their left overs correctly.
I would also like to add that In relation to action no. 10 please consider including non-compostable produce bags in the list of single-use plastics items to be phased-out in Turning the Tide on Single-Use Plastic. There are so many alternatives to plastic produce bags. Locally-made certified compostable produce bags, paper bags, leaving produce loose, or bringing our own reusable produce bags. There really is no need for the plastic bags.
#PlasticFreeProduce #SingleUseSucks
Government Agency
Green Industries SA > Naomi Szwed
25 Aug 2020
Hi Naomi, thank you for your response and support for phasing out non-compostable produce bags.
All sectors, including the hospitality sector, need to do more when it comes to reducing food waste. In 2019, the National Food Waste Baseline was released which showed that in 2016-17, Australia produced 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain finding approximately 34 per cent of food waste was generated by households, 31 per cent by primary production and agricultural pursuits and 25 per cent by the manufacturing sector: http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/25e36a8c-3a9c-487c-a9cb-66ec15ba61d0/files/national-food-waste-baseline-final-assessment.pdf
A trial in supermarkets in the City of Holdfast Bay, where compostable bags were provided for fruit and vegetables, showed that - in conjunction with promoting the use of these in kitchen caddy systems - this can result in a significant increase in food waste diversion as well as reduction of single use plastic:
https://www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/_literature_206402/Holdfast_Bay_Compostable_Bag_Trial-Project_Report_(2020)
Avoiding using any single-use bags where possible, either by purchasing produce loose or using reusable produce bags, is an even better option.