Challenge checklist
- Only buy what you need – and never, ever go shopping on an empty stomach!
- Use your leftovers – freeze, take for lunch or share
- Buy 'ugly' fruit & veggies – it’s madness how much imperfectly good produce ends up in landfill. Beauty is on the inside folks!
- Best before isn't a 'use by' date – we’re talking a question of quality, not safety. Know the difference.
- Compost, compost, compost – food waste sent to landfill produces methane, a greenhouse gas 25 × more potent than CO2.
- Get your friends, relatives, school or workplace to join in – when we work together everything is possible.
- #noleftovers – sharing is caring
Reduce your food waste
#noleftovers
The issue
Globally, we throw out about 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year, or a third of all the food that we grow. Oversized portions, the demand for ‘perfect’ fruit & vegetables and a downward trend in cost are all fuelling the epidemic. Bad yes, but how does it relate to the Reef? Not only is the process of farming and transporting unused food a waste of energy, labour and resources, but when food reaches landfill it releases potent greenhouse gases that fuel climate change. And that is bad news for the Reef.
The big picture
If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter after the USA and China. Eliminating global food waste would save 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.
Our impact
By joining our action, you’re personally contributing to a reduction in the amount of food entering landfill - now imagine the collective impact of thousands of Citizens uniting to reduce food waste! The good news is that businesses around the world are taking note, with many already committing to end food waste by donating or selling misshapen fruit & veg. Let’s send a clear message to decision makers - food waste is not just bad for people, it’s bad for the Reef.
Spread the word
We would love to see what you’re doing, so don’t forget to #citizensGBR and #uniteforthereef alongside the snaps of you chomping down on your elongated legume salad. Posting about your efforts isn't bragging – you’re helping to grow our community and champion positive impact for the Reef.