It is estimated that more than 5 million tonnes of food ends up in landfill in Australia at a cost of $20 billion per year. An estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste and millions of people go hungry even though there is enough food to feed everyone. But wasted food isn't just a social or humanitarian concern—it's an environmental one.

When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food goes to landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is estimated that in Australia only 10% of food waste is composted, which leaves an enormous amount of food heading straight to landfill where it rots and produces greenhouse gas.

It turns out reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse global warming. According to Project Drawdown’s team of researchers, cutting down on food waste could have nearly the same impact on reducing emissions over the next three decades as onshore wind turbines.

Liberation Larder, a much-loved charity organisation in Byron Bay has been playing a transformational role in food rescue and repurposing for ten years in the Byron Shire. In 2018 alone it provided more than 22,000 meals to people in need from rescued and donated food.

With the Byron Shire being strongly hospitality focused, it’s the perfect area to run such a successful food rescue organisation. Liberation Larder receives donated food from many of Byron Shire’s local restaurants and food production companies - preventing thousands of kilograms of otherwise fresh and healthy food from being thrown away and at the same time addressing hunger.

Liberation Larder makes sure this food reaches people who need it, either as meals or fresh food parcels.

According to the New South Wales Government program Love Food Hate Waste, one of the seven key things a restaurant or hotel can do to reduce their food waste is to ensure that all fresh food waste is donated to charities.

Enova Energy is proudly supporting the work of Liberation Larder. Anyone who switches to Enova can nominate to have $50 donated to Liberation Larder on their behalf, or have the $50 credited to their first bill. Each $50 donation will support Liberation Larder to provide ten healthy meals provided to people in need, from food that has been diverted away from landfill.

If you’re based in the Byron Shire and would like to reduce hunger in our community while also taking action on climate change, switch your electricity provider to Enova and nominate for Enova to donate $50 to Liberation Larder on your behalf. Take action here.

References:
www.worldwildlife.org/
www.washingtonpost.com/
ineedachef.com.au/
www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/
www.ozharvest.org/
www.foodwise.com.au/