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3 Ways To Reduce Christmas Food Waste

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Christmas is coming and you know what that means food!  Or is that just us? What you might not know is that food waste has a major impact on our economy and environment.  In Australia. 7.6 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted every year, and a large proportion of this food is still perfectly edible. We know that on a global scale, 690 million people were affected by hunger….so food waste does not make sense, right?  

What’s even more shocking is that during the Christmas season, we see a further 30% increase in food waste. It’s easy to overdo it at Christmastime; how many of us overspend, overeat, and then throw out more food than at any other time of the year? It’s not unusual, we’ve done it too! 

When it comes to Christmas cheer, it seems more is more. But what’s driving this excess Christmas culture? Many Australians are under immense pressure to present a perfect Christmas to their children or parents or even to their neighbours. But the inevitable waste and environmental pollution that comes with this over-indulgence are really not worth, not only the stress this places on you, but of course the impact this has on the planet

So, what can you do to reduce waste at the Christmas table and have a green Christmas this year?

Here are some simple tips to get you started:

PLAN AHEAD TO REDUCE WASTE

Prepare a meal plan  Know what you’re going to eat, and buy no more fresh food than you need. Know your family and guests’ preferences in advance, it’s a no brainer that you don’t need to over cater on the roasts when you have a few vegetarians at the table.

TAKE AWAY FOOD

Ask your guests and friends to bring containers to take away any leftovers; even with the most organised planning, you won’t be able to finish everything at the table.

BUY LOCAL TO AVOID FOOD WASTE

You can choose to buy locally produced meat, this will bring down the food miles and if you buy it from a local butcher, you’ll have the added bonus of supporting local business.

These tips are super simple and just these small changes can make a big difference this Christmas. 

If after all these tips, you still have too much food leftover, remember there are amazing organisations like @OzHarvest. They save high-quality surplus food from landfill and then deliver it to local charities and shelters. Not only are you reducing your impact on the planet, but you are also helping someone who may be in need in your community. Now if that doesn’t bring Christmas cheer, what does!?  

For more information about OzHarvest  https://www.ozharvest.org/

And for more sustainable tips and tricks, follow our blog here!

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