The Victorian Government is working with manufacturers and producers to identify new opportunities to tackle food waste.
Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio will next month host an industry round table to hear from those already taking innovative approaches to tackling food waste and examine its impact on Victorian businesses and communities.
The event is a chance for key players in Victoria’s food industry supply chain to discuss barriers and opportunities to addressing this issue, and inform Victoria’s contribution to a National Food Waste Strategy.
The national strategy supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of a 50 per cent reduction in food waste by 2030.
The round table will also inform future Victorian initiatives on food waste reduction to complement the work already underway to create less food waste and better manage the waste we generate.
Sustainability Victoria’s Love Food, Hate Waste campaign, which provides tools and tips to help Victorians reduce food waste, has reached almost half a million Victorians and is providing grants to help local councils reach even more people through cooking demonstrations, food events and training courses.
One in four regional Victorians also now have access to organic waste collection services, helping them keep food and garden waste out of landfill, thanks to Labor Government funding.
The government hopes connecting with food producers and manufacturers will identify more new and creative opportunities to tackle this growing issue.
“Victorian households throw away 250,000 tonnes of food waste per year. This is a great chance to address this issue and identify new opportunities to grow our economy and create new jobs,” Minister D’Ambrosio said.
“Food waste costs the average family around $2,200 a year and if food waste was a country, it would be the world’s third biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Bringing communities, business and all levels of government together will help identify how to reduce the impacts of food waste on our environment and make better use of a valuable resource.”