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This article was published on Friday, 3 June, 2016. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Say 'I Love Leftovers' and save

Every year Victorian households throw away enough food to fill the Eureka Tower and it’s also hitting their hip pocket, costing families $2,200 a year on average.

To help Victorian families reduce the amount of food they throw away, the I Love Leftovers promotion launched today which shares a suite of tips, advice, new recipes and videos to help Victorian get more from their food.

The I Love Leftovers promotion provides information on easy steps you can take to love your leftovers and reduce your food waste, such as:

• Planning dinner using what you already have in the fridge and pantry;
• Planning for leftovers – make a big roast and then get creative with the leftovers for lunch the next day;
• Before shopping, check the fridge and pantry to see which ingredients you already have;
• Applying the rule: First in, first out. Put new products at the back when unpacking shopping; and
• Getting to know the best way to store food items so they will last a lot longer.

Sustainability Victoria CEO Stan Krpan said that Victorian households are throwing out $4 billion worth of food each year which could feed 367,000 families for a year.

“This is such a huge global issue, that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, behind only China and the USA,” Mr Krpan said.

“With winter officially arriving, there are some great tips on the website to help Victorians use their leftovers and create some winter warming treats like a hearty soup or stew.

“Through the I Love Leftovers promotion Victorians can do little things at home every day that could save them a small fortune and do the environment a big favour.”

The way food waste breaks down in landfill can create methane, a greenhouse gas which can lead to potential environmental and public health risks.

“Avoidable food waste disposed of to landfill from Victorian households has the potential to generate up to 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year,” Mr Krpan said.

“Wasting food has a significant impact on our precious resources too. When we waste food, we also waste the resources used to grow our food and the energy used to process, package and transport food from markets to our homes.”

A number of councils across Victoria will also be holding events to promote ‘I Love Leftovers’ through market stalls, cooking demonstrations and festivals.

Small changes can make a big difference to the amount your home wastes so love your food by wasting less of it and following the Love Food Hate Waste Victoria Facebook page or visiting www.lovefoodhatewaste.vic.gov.au for tips, advice and recipes.