Science: More food is being wasted than before; the richer you are the more you waste

Thought you were good with food waste? Turns out you may not be and it may be related to just how much money you earn. A recent study by Dutch researchers has shown that food waste goes up with the increase of money in your pocket; more money in your pocket the more likely you are to waste food. The authors of the report said: “…consumers waste more than twice as much food as is commonly believed.”

A UN report in 2005 Showed that one third of our global food went to waste, however this may not have taken into account consumer behaviour. Dutch researchers have found that once an individual spends around $6.70 per day on food, the amount of food wasted rises. This was also reflected on a national level; richer countries waste more food than poorer ones.

In Australia, more than 5 million tones of food ends up in landfills. Or in other terms, One in five shopping bags end up in the family bin. This is costing over $3,800 per year, per household.

The reason why a lot of food in Australia is wasted Is because: we cook too much, don’t know how to use leftovers, buying fast food at the last moment,and we don’t check the cup pboard before shopping. Those wasting the most food in Australia are those between the ages of 18-24, households with over $100,000 income and young families.