Waste Not Want Not
These statistics speak for themselves and they're pretty alarming, right?
According to Project Drawdown reducing food waste is the single most impactful action each of us can take to fight climate change.
There are many ways to be a part of the solution, starting at home.
Join us in the fight against food waste - even small changes can make a big difference. Starting here..
AWARENESS
“The first step to change is awareness.” Nathaniel Branden.
Being aware of this global issue and understanding that food waste is a major contributor to climate change is the first step to initiating change at home and motivating us all to spread the word.
LEFT OVERS ARE YOUR FRIEND
Plan your meals and grocery shop so that you only buy what you need. Make your freezer your friend and put milk, bread and meat close to expiry in the freezer to buy you extra time.
Using left over veg and other food in the fridge to create pasta sauce, soup, frittata or stir fry. Here are a few recipes ideas to inspire. Please share your favourite recipes for left overs here and we'll add them to our website for all to enjoy.
OFFALLY GOOD FOR YOU
Dirty Clean Food is a big believer in nose-to-tail eating, ensuring we utilise as much of the animal as possible including organ meats, fats and less common cuts. It not only reduces food waste, but it also shows respect for the animal and our farmers.
And before you turn your nose (or tail) up at it, remember it's how generations used to eat before we became accustomed to buying the same common cuts of meat every week. There is so much more to lamb than a roast or lamb chops. Plus, organ meats are less expensive and full of nutrients you won’t find in your more common cuts.
Check out our Offal and bones collection here.
SEASONS FOR CHANGE
Buy seasonal produce: Choosing foods while they are in season reduces the resources needed to grow, transport and store them. It also reduces supply chain food waste and the overall carbon footprint. Plus, it means you're buying food at its tastiest too.
Check out the contents in our seasonal fruit and veg boxes here and set up a subscription so you not only save money, but can plan your meals each week.
COMPOST
Before your food scraps end up in your compost bin try repurposing. Broccoli stems and florets can be chopped and cooked, cauliflower leaves can be baked, freeze left over herbs in ice cubes, and other scraps can be transformed into homemade stock.
With all remaining scraps you can set up a compost bin or worm farm at home or dropping compost at a local composting station. Obviously, this doesn’t reduce food waste, but it helps reduce landfill and its environmental impact by turning food waste into nutrient-rich organic compost that helps nourish the soil in your garden.
SUPPORT FOOD WASTE CHAMPIONS
There are many legends around town doing their bit to reduce the impact of food waste. Three such companies fighting food waste are Donut Waste, Foody Bag and Oz Harvest.
Donut Waste collect coffee grounds from cafes and businesses and take them to the nearest community garden or composting station. Coffee grounds in landfill generate methane gas which is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. So let’s keep them out of your red bin and into your compost to help create beautiful rich soil.
Local business Foody Bag have developed an app for local bakeries to sell their surplus products at a heavily discounted price to avoid them turning into landfill.
Oz Harvest is a leading food rescue organisation stopping good food from going to waste and delivering it to charities that help feed people in need. They collect surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and even Dirty Clean Food from time to time, and deliver to charities to distribute.