It’s estimated that every year the average Australian household produces enough rubbish to fill an entire three-bedroom home. That’s roughly 2.25kg of rubbish a day! And in terms of food wastage, the numbers are even more staggering. As a nation, we throw away $2.9 billion of fresh food and $241 million of frozen food every year as well.
Luckily, there are some ingenious companies out there helping us reduce these numbers. Here are our top five:
1\ Dry food storage
Buying dry food in bulk and storing it securely is one way to cut down on package and supermarket trips, especially with stores like The Source Bulk Foods popping up in shopping centres and neighbourhoods around Australia. While there are a lot of dry food storage options out there, we love the Smart Space Edition Wall Mount Dispenser Triple Canisters, because they not only help keep food dry but they also allow you to easily access it with a handy wall mounting. Keep it in your pantry or on a kitchen wall and you’ll also see when you’re due for a top up. Our favourite part is the removable measuring cup, which can help reduce any food wastage and make measuring out food incredibly easy.
2\ The Smart Fridge
Throwing out rotting vegetables and out-of-date food is not only a drain on the planet but it’s also a serious drain on your wallet. However, German company Liebherr has designed a range of smart fridges that use BioFresh technology to keep food fresher for longer. The separate BioFresh compartments maintain the temperature just above 0°C to keep food in its optimal state. In addition, each specially designed section keeps different types of food perfectly preserved. For example, Liebherr knows that fruits and vegetables require some moisture to maintain their crispness, while items like cheese and dried fruits need very arid conditions to stay fresh. This BioFresh ‘moisture control’ element is the key to getting the most out of every trip to the supermarket and reducing the amount of food that ends up in your bin.
3\ Reusable soda bottles
Sustainable water bottles are now thankfully a given for most Australians, yet when it comes to mineral water and soft drinks, plastic is (unfortunately) still king. For an alternative, try SodaStream – they produce around 1.5 billion litres of home-make sparkling water every year world-wide and have helped reduce the amount of plastic wastage going into landfill. Their flavours have 2/3 less sugar than other sodas and they don’t contain high fructose syrup either. Now the new smaller 500ml reusable bottles make it easier to drink soft drinks on the go as well. Take them on your picnic, or grab one as you run out the door, just don’t forget to bring it back to be reused!
4\ Aluminium coffee pods
Coffee has definitely taken over the world and with home coffee machines becoming more affordable, Australians are now using three million coffee pods a day. That is a huge amount of plastic and food wastage going into landfill every year; luckily, Podstar reusable coffee pods can help reduce that number. They are a light an aluminum shell that, once filled with coffee, can be used again and again in most machines, producing no wastage whatsoever. Your coffee grinds can help feed your garden or your compost, while the reusable pods can be hand or machine washed for next time. And the good news is that Podstar now produces pods to fit the super popular Aldi coffee machine as well, so there’s really no excuse!
5\ The Food Recycler
Put this one on your one-to-watch list as it hasn’t officially been released yet, but Whirlpool’s Zera Food Recycler promises to break down seven days of food scraps into rich, nutrient-dense fertiliser ready to be used on your garden veggies. The break-through technology uses an additive made from coir, derived from coconut husk and baking soda, to break down vegetables, meat and even dairy scraps in 24 hours. And don’t worry, a carbon air filter blocks any unwanted fermenting smells from invading your kitchen. This little machine is compact, quiet and will be a real game-changer when it hits the stores.
