Reduce Food Waste at Home: 12 Practical Habits

Most of us throw out more food than we realise: a forgotten bag of spinach, half a tub of yoghurt, last Tuesday's curry. The good news is that household food waste responds well to a few small, regular habits. Here are 12 that are easy to start this week.

How much food do Australians waste?

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), "Australia wastes around 7.6 million tonnes of food each year. That’s more than 300 kilograms per person." Homes are a big part of that: "households waste about 2.5 million tonnes, or 30% of all food waste", and "food waste costs Australia more than $36.6 billion every year" (DCCEEW, Reducing Australia’s food waste). The National Food Waste Strategy, released in 2017, matters here too: "It set Australia’s target to halve food waste by 2030."

It adds up at home as well. End Food Waste Australia says "Food wasted at home costs households up to $2,500 a year, or $50 a week" (End Food Waste Australia, About food waste).

Plan before you shop

1. Check what you already have

Before you write a shopping list, take two minutes to look in the fridge, freezer and pantry. Note anything that needs using soon and build the next few meals around it. It stops a lot of doubling up.

2. Plan a few meals, not every meal

You don't need a rigid seven-day menu. Planning three or four dinners and a couple of lunches is enough to shape your shopping, and it leaves room for nights out or plans changing. Pick at least one meal that uses up odds and ends, such as a stir-fry, frittata, fried rice or soup.

3. Shop to the list and buy for how you really eat

Bulk deals only save money if you use everything. Buy loose fruit and vegetables when you only need a few, and be honest about how much the household gets through in a week. If you often throw out the last third of a loaf, buy a smaller one or freeze half on the day you buy it.

Store food well

4. Know your use-by from your best-before

Use-by dates are about safety. Don't eat food after them. Best-before dates are about quality, so food past its best-before may still be fine if it has been stored properly and isn't spoiled. Our guide to use-by vs best-before dates explains what the Australian rules say.

5. Keep the fridge cold

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) advises: "Keep perishable food refrigerated at 5 °C or colder" (FSANZ, Food safety basics). A cheap fridge thermometer is the easiest way to check.

6. First in, first out

When you unpack the shopping, move older items to the front and put new ones behind them. Do the same in the pantry and freezer. If you can see it, you're far more likely to use it.

7. Create a "use it up" spot

Choose one shelf or tub in the fridge for food that needs eating first: opened jars, half an onion, leftovers. Check it before you cook, and before you reach for something new. For fruit and veg, our guide to storing vegetables, herbs and berries in the fridge covers what goes in the crisper and what stays out.

Make the most of leftovers

8. Cool and store leftovers promptly

The NSW Food Authority says to "Cool and cover leftovers and put them in a fridge or freezer within 2 hours" (NSW Food Authority, Leftovers). Shallow containers help food cool quickly.

9. Date everything you store

Leftovers don't come with a printed date, so give them one. A strip of masking tape and a marker works, or use a lid with a date dial. The lids in the Vuumex Glass Vacuum Food Container Set have a date dial, which is simply a reminder of when you stored something. The official times below still apply.

10. Eat leftovers within the safe window

The NSW Food Authority advises: "Eat leftovers stored in the fridge within 3 days. Cooked rice and pasta should be eaten within 2 days." If you know you won't get to something in time, freeze it straight away rather than waiting until the last day. Our guide to how long leftovers last in the fridge has a food-by-food table.

11. Freeze what you won't eat in time

The freezer is one of the most useful tools against food waste. Freeze bread, cooked rice, sauces, soups and spare portions while they're still within their fridge time, in meal-sized portions so you only thaw what you need. When it's time to eat, FSANZ says: "Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature - thaw it in the fridge or use a microwave." Our guide to freezing and thawing leftovers covers cooling, portioning, labelling and reheating step by step.

12. Cook once, eat twice

Batch cooking turns one cooking session into several meals. Cook a big pot of something, eat some that night, pack some for lunches and freeze the rest. Matching portions to container sizes helps. The Vuumex set includes four borosilicate glass containers in 470ml, 800ml, 1.4L and 2.7L sizes, plus a rechargeable vacuum pump, and the glass bases suit the fridge, freezer, oven, microwave (lids off) and dishwasher. If you're new to batch cooking, our meal prep for beginners guide walks through a week of lunches.

A note on what containers can and can't do

Good storage helps you see what you have and use food in time, but it doesn't change food-safety limits. Moving food into another container, including a vacuum container, doesn't extend a use-by date or the official fridge times for leftovers. Removing air helps limit air contact with food, but whichever limit comes first still applies.

Quick recap

• Check the fridge, freezer and pantry before you shop, and plan a few meals.
• Buy for how you really eat, and know use-by (safety) from best-before (quality).
• Keep the fridge at 5°C or colder, rotate stock and keep a "use it up" spot.
• Cool and store leftovers within 2 hours, date them, and eat them within 3 days (2 for rice and pasta).
• Freeze what you won't eat in time, thaw it in the fridge or microwave, and cook once to eat twice.

Sources: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Reducing Australia’s food waste (figures from the 2021 National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study); End Food Waste Australia, About food waste; Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Food safety basics; NSW Food Authority, Leftovers. This guide is general information only.