Qld aims to halve food waste by 2030

Queenslanders are being challenged to have a better relationship with their food and to slash what they throw in their rubbish bins as the state looks to halve its food waste by 2030.

The call came as Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon unveiled the Queensland Organics Strategy and Action Plan 2022–2032. The government urged Queenslanders to adopt new strategies to avoid wasting food and to divert unwanted organic material away from landfill to be recycled.

“This is our 10-year strategy to turn discarded organic material into a valuable and useful commodity, delivering social, economic and environmental benefits for everyone,” Scanlon said.

By 2030, Queensland aims to divert 80% of the organic material going to landfill and to achieve a 70% recycling rate for organics, according to Scanlon.

“The Strategy and Action Plan is the result of an extensive consultation process over the past year which included a survey, written submissions, workshops and information sessions,” Scanlon said.

“We waste too much food, leaving it to be dumped in landfill, while others go hungry.

“This is not only having an increasing cost on our household budgets — estimated at $2200 a year — but on our environment, as unwanted food and garden waste dumped in landfill produces damaging methane gas.”

With Food Action Week just two weeks away, Scanlon also launched the Queensland Government’s three-week ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ challenge.

“Participants will also go in the running to win a prize at the end of the challenge — with 10 blenders up for grabs as well as ‘use it up’ tape labels to remind you food is about to expire,” Scanlon said.

“Materials will be made available for councils, students, teachers and households across the state to kickstart our efforts to reduce food waste.”

The launch took place at FareShare in Brisbane, a food rescue charity which turns excess food into free, nutritious meals for people in need.

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