Organisations such as Fareshare and Secondbite provide some relief from our wasteful food culture by rescuing surplus food from supermarkets and giving it to those in need. As individuals, there are many simple ways to avoid wasting food.


Rescue leftovers - ask for a takeaway bag. Unfortunately, social conditioning stops many of us from asking to take away our leftovers at restaurants, and Gen Y Australians are particularly shy. In Asia, Europe and the US, it's perfectly normal to ask for "le doggybag". Why should we accept throwing away food as normal? And what's unusual about taking home the meal for which you paid? Forget the stigma. Ask for a doggybag.

Take stock of your fridge. Once a week, go through your groceries and see what's less fresh, and use these to make your next meal. Cook using the principle of First In, First Out (FIFO, for the accountants out there).

Double banana found in the bargain bin.

Shop the bargain bin. Grab that $2 bag of ripe bananas. Ripe fruits not only taste better, they are better for your health (as long as you are not diabetic). As fruits ripen, their antioxidant levels increase. They are also more easily digested, as more of the resistant starch is converted to sugars.

Try the app YUME for half-price food from Melbourne's top cafes and restaurants.

Use common sense more than use-by dates. Best-before dates are actually manufacturer's suggestions for peak quality, not food safety. If it looks, smells and tastes ok, it is ok to eat.
Embrace ugly. Don't be afraid of odd shaped fruit and vegetables. Woolworths sell discounted bags of ugly fruit and vegetables called the "Odd Bunch", which are just as good as their drone-like "normal-shaped" counterparts.

Give it away. If you have extra groceries or leftovers, pass it on! To a neighbour, friends, family, or to someone who needs it more than you. Australia produces enough food to feed 60 million people, yet 2 million people still rely on food relief every year.  You can give surplus groceries to places like Foodbank or the ASRC, or offer your uneaten sandwhich to someone who needs it.