Despite growing concerns about the cost of food increasing year-on-year, Kiwi households are still throwing away more than $3.2 billion worth of food every year.
Food going off before it can be finished and before ‘use by’ and ‘best before dates’ are the top reasons for food waste, with bread, leftovers and fruit and vegetables listed as the top three most wasted items.
Working towards a goal of reducing household food waste by 50 percent by 2030, Love Food Hate Waste NZ has launched its sticky initiative to save money and food; Reusable Eat Me First Stickers.
“Helping Kiwis identify what food needs to be eaten first, our reusable Eat Me First Stickers should be placed on a shelf in your fridge or pantry to highlight what items need to be eaten before they go mouldy or have to be thrown out,” says Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s Juno Scott-Kelly.
“At its core, the Eat Me First Reusable stickers seek to instil a culture of mindfulness and conscientiousness when it comes to food consumption and storage in Kiwi households,” she adds.
By actively identifying and consuming items that are closest to expiration, have been leftover from another meal or opened and left uneaten, individuals could save upwards of $1,510 a year according to Love Food Hate Waste NZ.
“With food price inflation hitting a rate that has not been seen in 30 years in the middle of 2023, we know Kiwi families are hurting the most when it comes to their grocery bills,” says Juno.
“The reusable Eat Me First Sticker has been designed to help reduce the cost and waste from the food we purchase.”
“Not only will reducing food waste benefit the environment as we decrease methane emissions from landfills, but it would save New Zealanders around $3.2 billion a year," Juno concludes.
Whakatāne District residents can order their free Eat Me First Stickers from the Love Food Hate Waste NZ website, find them at Woolworths, or collect from the main Whakatāne District Council building on Commerce Street, Murupara Service Centre, Whakatāne Library and the Waste Zero stand at the Sunday Market on 5 May.
“In addition to our free Eat Me First reusable stickers, Kiwis can also learn simple hacks and tricks to make the most of their food by keeping up with Love Food Hate Waste NZ on social media and through events happening around the country in the month of May," say Juno.