Australia’s Food Waste Revolution: What We Can Learn from Global Leaders
The Global Challenge of Food Waste
Globally, food waste is a massive issue. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), up to 31% of food produced worldwide is wasted. This wastage accounts for 6% - 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In landfills, decomposing food generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas, intensifying climate change.
However, some nations have taken significant strides to mitigate this crisis. South Korea, for example, recycles 98% of its food waste, transforming it into animal feed, compost and renewable energy. Their success lies in a nationwide mandate requiring residents to separate food waste, enforced by fines and fees. Similarly, France has banned supermarkets from discarding unsold food, instead requiring it to be donated to charities.
Lessons from South Korea
South Korea’s approach to food waste is a world-leading model of innovation and policy implementation. The transformation began in 2005 when the government banned food waste from landfills. To comply, residents were required to separate food waste from general garbage. This separation is monitored through a “pay-as-you-throw” system that charges residents for the amount of food waste they produce, calculated either by weight or through the use of prepaid waste disposal bags.
The impact has been profound. Over 300 facilities across South Korea process food waste into valuable products such as animal feed, compost and biogas. Facilities like the Daejeon Bioenergy Center alone handle hundreds of tonnes of food waste daily, converting it into enough energy to power thousands of homes.
This success has also required cultural adjustments. Urban areas now feature electronic food-waste bins where residents log their waste using digital cards. These bins weigh the waste, charging users accordingly. Businesses, such as restaurants, face incentives to reduce waste volumes, including fees and the possibility of fines for noncompliance.
Despite its success, South Korea’s system has its challenges. Contamination in food waste bins - such as plastic or non-compostable items - can disrupt processing. Additionally, farmers and livestock producers remain hesitant to adopt food-waste-derived products due to concerns about quality and consistency. However, South Korea is increasingly focusing on biogas production, which mitigates these issues by converting waste into renewable energy instead of relying solely on agricultural applications.
Australia’s Progress
Australia has made strides in tackling food waste through initiatives like enrich360’s commercial food waste dehydrators, which transform food scraps into nutrient-rich soil amendments for agriculture. These systems support a circular economy by returning valuable nutrients to the earth, helping farmers improve soil health and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers.
The Australian government’s National Food Waste Strategy aims to halve food waste by 2030. Programs like Love Food Hate Waste educate citizens about the economic and environmental impacts of waste while promoting practical solutions such as meal planning and composting.
Additionally, businesses are stepping up. Supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles collaborate with charities such as OzHarvest to donate surplus food to those in need. However, with 35% of the average Australian household bin filled with food waste, there’s still much work to be done.
The Way Forward
The way forward for Australia involves adopting global best practices while addressing local needs. Investing in sustainable infrastructure, such as enrich360 dehydrators, enables businesses, families and individuals to process food waste onsite and utilise the output locally, reducing emissions and fostering a circular economy.
Expanding government incentives - like rebates for sustainable food waste disposal equipment - into a nation-wide initiative would encourage broader adoption. Strengthened legislation is also crucial, including mandating food donations to redirect edible food to those in need and banning food waste from landfills to minimise environmental harm.
Empowering consumers through education on composting, meal planning and smarter shopping can further reduce household food waste.
A Shared Responsibility
Tackling food waste requires collaboration across industries, governments and communities. By learning from success stories worldwide and leveraging innovative solutions, Australia can lead the charge in building a more sustainable future.
With solutions like enrich360 and other eco-friendly technologies, every leftover meal has the potential to nurture the planet instead of harming it - a future we can all work toward.
