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How to get rid of the garbage in your life, host a Give a Fork! meal and be all-round awesome.

Give a Fork! about waste

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Thank you for Giving a Fork! By registering to host or attend a Give a Fork! event, you’re showing your commitment to making this world a better place. You’re putting your fork where your mouth is and taking action against the biggest environmental disaster of the modern world – waste.

It’s a noble cause but a pretty rockin’ way to get involved because all we’re asking you to do is to cook, share and enjoy a delicious #wastefree meal with your friends, family or workmates, raising funds to support Sustainable Table’s Awareness and Education Program along the way. In the process, you’ll learn how to reduce waste in your own home and life – and that’s the key to a better future for all.

By participating in Give a Fork!, you’re helping in two big ways:

hellocontents

FIRSTLY. SECONDLY.

Bon appetite The Sustainable Table team

TO GET YOU STARTED, INSIDE THIS EBOOK YOU’LL FIND:

• How to host a #wastefree meal at home.

• A low-down on the impact waste is having on our environment, health and communities.

• Simple ways we can all cut out the garbage in our lives and make a positive difference.

• What to do with your food scraps – hello carrot tops, egg shells and meat bones!

• Easy-as-pie recipe ideas that ensure you make the most of the produce you buy.

Again, thank you – you deserve a big pat on the back. Without people like you willing to get their forks dirty (and their bellies full), many of us would not pay much attention to the issue of waste until we’re buried in it. And that’s too late.

You’re providing much-needed funds to help us continue our work of building a better food system for all. Learn more about our work here.

You’re learning about waste and helping to spread our important message of living and eating #wastefree.

Give a Fork! 2

How to host a Give a Fork! #wastefree meal 6

Planning your event 6

Give a Fork! About Waste placemat 10

On the day of your event 12

What’s the issue? 16

The facts 18

#Wastefree tips, tricks and recipe ideas 24

The solutions 26

Kitchen nightmares 30

Yes! You can eat it! 32

The six best ways to use up leftovers 38

From Scraps to Scrumptious: Black Bean, Eggplant & Vegie Juice Pulp Patties 40

Sarah Wilson’s one chook, fifteen meals 42

Where to shop 46

Shopping guides 48

The anyone’s guide to composting 50

Tim Silverwood’s tips for a trash free future 54

About Sustainable Table 56

Restaurants that Give a Fork! 57

Links we love 57

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GIVE A FORK!

During the month of October, (or another month if October is already jam-packed), get your friends, family or colleagues together, share a #GiveaFork! themed meal and raise awareness and funds to help build a food system that is good for the environment, fair on Aussie farmers, ethical and healthy.

A bit more about Give a Fork!

Give a Fork! is Sustainable Table’s annual campaign about making positive change through the food we eat. It raises awareness of the issues affecting our food and the environment. Each year there is a different theme and all anyone has to do to get involved is share a meal!

How was Give a Fork! conceived?

In a nutshell, Give a Fork! was conceived in recognition that for most of us, starting a conversation about the environmental impact of our food choices is rather tricky without being seen as tree-hugging ‘hippy’ idealists (not that there’s anything wrong with that). All too often our enthusiasm meets a whole lot of eye-rolling and labelling.

Give a Fork! makes it easy to start the conversation. Hosts are provided with everything they need to theme their meal, including information and tips on the topic. Guests buy a ticket, rock up, enjoy delicious food and learn about important environmental issues in a casual, non-alienating and fun way. The ticket money goes directly to supporting Sustainable Table to continue building a better food future for all. Simple as that.

To find out more visit giveafork.com.au

HOW GIVE A FORK! WORKS

Join inSign up to host your own Give a Fork! meal

(anything from a casual morning tea to fine dining) or buy a ticket to attend a friend’s event.

Enjoy a Give a Fork! themed meal

Support the cause

Check out our easy #GiveaFork! tips and recipes and share a delicious and Earth-smart meal.

Your ticket money will go towards helping Sustainable Table to educate Australians about how to buy into a more sustainable food system. You’ll also be making a real difference to our environment, farmers, animals and our health. The portion of your ticket cost that goes towards Sustainable Table

is also tax-deductible – it’s a win-win!

You can also drop into any one of our participating restaurants who Give a Fork! and take advantage of their Give a Fork! special.

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hosting a Give a Fork! meal

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How to host a Give a Fork! wastefree meal

planning your event

If you’ve signed up as a Give a Fork! host this year, the aim of the game is to prepare a meal for your friends, family or work colleagues and make it as #wastefree as possible. How do you do that? It’s not as tricky as you think. It’s about putting together a simple menu, choosing fresh local ingredients and knowing how to get the most out of each ingredient and any leftovers you end up with. And as it turns out, our ebook is your perfect companion to make this happen.

HERE IS WHAT WE ARE THROWING AWAY:

#

Research shows we commonly waste food in our homes because:

we cook too much food

food goes off before the use-by/best-before date

we forget about leftovers in the fridge or freezer

we don’t know how to use leftovers

we buy too much because we don’t stick to a shopping list

we don’t check the cupboard or fridge before going shopping

we’re not planning our meals and menus as much as we could

Other reasons we waste food are family members changing plans, not following the recipe correctly, and buying takeaways at the last minute.

We waste packaging because:

we buy too much processed food or food with unnecessary packaging such as pre-packed herbs, bags of pre-mixed lettuce etc.

we don’t make or grow our own as much as we could, e.g. dips, herbs.

Source: www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/love-food/research.aspx.

Source: www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/

$2.67b $2.18b$727m

of fresh food of leftovers of drinks

$727m

of frozen food

$566m $1.17b

of packaged and long-life products of takeaways

First it helps to understand what Aussies waste and why we waste it.

WHY DO WE WASTE?

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planning your eventcontinued

Step 1.

Set yourself up with a compost bin or worm farm. This is one of the most important tools you’ll need to keep your waste levels down because almost half of household waste is food waste. Composting doesn’t require fancy equipment or even heaps of space – there’s a composting solution for every type of household. See our Composting section for everything you need to know.

Step 2.

Plan your menu – read Kitchen Nightmares to avoid the common wastage traps when hosting a meal and take a look at our Yes! You can Eat it! pages for ideas on how to get the most use of the produce you buy.

Step 4.

Find out where to shop to avoid waste – use our Where to Shop guide for the best options near you, including our Aus-wide directory of Bulk Food Stores.

Step 5.

Avoid cling wrap and tin foil when cooking. Put leftovers in resealable containers or use mum’s old trick and cover with an upturned plate or bowl. Encourage guests to bring their own takeaway container and take ‘doggy bags’ home with them.

Step 3.

Shop smart – Try to choose free range/grass-fed/organic eggs, meats and dairy and organic fruit and vegetables when you can. To find out why, read our Meat your Meat section and our Organic Sceptics section here. And use our directories to find ethical meat suppliers and sustainable seafood suppliers near you. You’ll also find handy pocket shopping guides at the back of this ebook to help you choose sustainable seafood, seasonal produce and know your free range and organic labels. And don’t forget to take your reusable bags and containers with you.

PLANNING FOR YOUR EVENT

Step 6.

If you do create waste, it’s important to consider what type

By now, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a #wastefree meal, however, we appreciate that despite your best efforts you may still end up with a little bit of waste. That’s why having a compost bin is so integral to reducing waste at home.

Another thing to consider is that some packaging is easier to reuse than others. For examples, glass jars vs. plastic bottles or non-recyclable plastic wrap vs. recyclable plastic containers. So, if faced with choosing between different types of packaging, choose these options when you can.

Step 7.

Set aside any waste you do create

Discuss the challenges of trying to be #wastefree:

“All my herbs came in plastic so now I’m going to grow my own.”

“I bought three dips in plastic containers when I could have made my own or served a different entree.”

“Half my bin was full of vegie peel and scraps, I could easily start a compost at home.”

Step 8.

Get creative when it comes to decorating. Watch our Waste Deep Event clip for beautiful yet thrifty decorating ideas.

We have designed a suggested placemat on the next page for you to print for your guests (on scrap paper of course).

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facebook.com/thesustainabletable Twitter.com/sustaintable Sustainable_Table

Give a Fork! About WasteAustralians discard up to 20% of the food

they purchase. That’s 1 out of every 5 bags of groceries they buy

The food wasted each year costs the average australian

household $1,036

Up to 40% of the average household bin is food

$8 billion worth of edible food is thrown

out every year

the biggest wasters?

families with children and young consumers (18-24)Households with incomes of more than $100,000 per year,

the environmental effects?When food rots with other organic matter in landfill, it gives off

a greenhouse gas called methane, which is 25 times more potent than the carbon pollution that comes out of your car exhaust

The hidden impact? When you throw out food you also waste the water, fuel and

resources it took to get the food from the paddock to your plate

An estimated 20-40% of fruit and vegetables are rejected even before they reach the shops, mostly because they don’t match

the consumers’ and supermarkets’ need for perfection

Adapted from infographic courtesy of DoSomething’s FoodWise.com.au

and Lunchalot.com

Give a Fork! About Waste placemat

What you can do

We all end up with food scraps, so start a compost bin to generate nutrient-rich

fertiliser to grow your own food

If you’re in an apartment block, chat to the body corporate about a communal

organic waste collection service

Above all, remember to love food and hate waste – it will save you

money and save the Earth

SHARE YOUR GIVE A FORK! EVENT PICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING #WASTEFREE #GIVEAFORK

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN GREAT PRIZES.

Plan a little better and be mindful of what you are throwing out so you

don’t repeat the same mistakes

giveafork.com.au

sustainabletable.org.au

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Step 1.

Huddle your guests around some aperitifs and introduce them to the issue with our short doco Waste Deep.

Waste Deep is our free-to-watch, 20-minute documentary showing how food and plastic waste can be avoided, drawing attention to much of the unnecessary packaging that is choking our lives, oceans and animals. It also gives an insight into the environmental and social impacts of our wasteful ways.

WATCH waste deep here

Is this what your shopping trolley looks like?

Sarah Wilson shares her best tips for using up vegie scraps.

Costa’s top tip for avoiding food waste?

“Buy with intent!”

on the day of your event

Step 3.

Talk about your experiences and challenges of planning, prepping and delivering a waste free meal. Now would be a good time to show guests the waste you created and were unable to avoid. If you have a compost bin, show guests how much ‘waste’ you were able to divert from landfill. If you have not yet set up a compost at home, discuss what portion of the waste you created is actually compostable.

Some things you might like to mention:

Q1. What did you do differently to other occassions? Did you change where you shop? Did you make more from scratch?

Q2. What valuable tricks did you learn for reducing waste in the kitchen?

Q3. What did you find was the biggest trap, the one ‘wasteful thing’ you couldn’t avoid doing or buying? Are there any creative ways to avoid this in the future?

Q4. Did you start a compost? Was it hard or easier than you thought?

Q5. What’s the take-home lesson you’d like to share from your Give a Fork! experience?

Waste Deep features some pretty rad people such as environmentalist and keen surfer Tim Silverwood, blogger, author and TV presenter Sarah Wilson and exuberant host of ABC’s Gardening Australia, Costa Georgiadis who all share their fabulous insights and tips for reducing waste in our everyday lives. They also happen to be our ambassadors for Give a Fork! this year too!

Step 2.

Enjoy your meal!and share your Give a Fork! event pics on social media using #wastefree #giveafork for your chance to win great prizes.

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the facts and

the solutions

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It’s time to take a stand (and Give a Fork! about waste)

What’s the issue?

WHERE DOES ALL THE WASTE COME FROM?

Australians throw out over $8 billion worth of food

– that’s 4,000,000 tonnes – every year.

Food waste comes from everyday people as well as businesses and producers throwing food in the bin. Packaging waste stems from all the wrappings our food comes in – think of all the plastic bottles, foil packets and plastic bags that you see lining the food aisles at the shops.

As individual consumers, we’re responsible for a lot of food and packaging waste, but consumer power also gives us the opportunity to have a positive impact.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FOOD AND PACKAGING WASTE IS THE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE WE FACE TODAY...

At the surface, it may look like all is fine. We don’t see mountains of waste on the street and our shop shelves are lined with an endless supply of food items all year round, so what’s the problem with wasting some? But look a little deeper and you’ll see that waste is at the heart of many of the environmental and social problems we face today: greenhouse gas pollution, food insecurity, high farmer suicide rates and wildlife deaths both on land and at sea. It may sound harsh, but it’s true.

With our global population set to hit 9.1 billion by 2050, you can begin to appreciate that food and packaging waste needs urgent attention if we’re to avoid environmental disaster and mass food shortages in coming decades.

$8billion 1.9m20-40%

We also throw out 1.9 million tonnes of packaging

each year – enough to fill the MCG 9 times over.

20-40% of fruit & veg are rejected and thrown away before they hit the shops

because of cosmetic reasons.

Due to population growth, food consumption is expected to increase by 30% in the next few years while agricultural yields are expected to drop by up to 5%. Cutting our food waste in half by 2050 would reduce this food gap by 20%.

‘We extract from nature to create billions of tonnes of things which we use once, then bury or pump them out to sea - and pay money for each of these stages! As individuals we can learn to avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle, with the journey ending with zero waste... nature’s finest.’ City of Stirling

1918

“Bringing prices down from when working class households spent 50% of income on food enabled people to eat better. But now we over-eat.”Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University London.

Waste is “a resource that is not safely recycled back into the environment or the marketplace”. Human-caused waste is environmentally catastrophic, whereas, in nature there is no such thing as waste. Everything has a purpose and is used up by some organism or process. All nutrients are recycled into another beneficial process.

The facts

“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.” Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

METHANE WORSE THAN CO2

Most of Australia’s wasted food ends up in landfill, where it rots and emits large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than the carbon emissions that come out of your car.

Over 4 million tonnes of food waste is dumped in landfill every year in Australia.

ENVIRONMENT HEALTH

FOOD-RELATED DISEASES SOARING

In Australia, more than half the population is overweight or obese and diet-related illnesses such as some cancers, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke are amongst our biggest killers.

EATING CHEMICALS

The chemical industry admits that food packaging contains substances that can migrate into food. One chemical in particular is of concern, BPA, because it can mimic our hormones and disrupt reproductive development. Monitoring has shown more than 90% of people have “detectable levels of BPA in their bodies”.

PACKAGING WASTE = CARS

Packaging waste in landfill produces the same amount of greenhouse gas as 860,000 cars.

No. of recyclable plastic supermarket bags dumped in landfill in australia: 429,000 every hour.

RESOURCES & LABOUR DOWN THE DRAIN

Wasted food and packaging is also a criminal waste of all the resources that went into producing it: land, water, gas, electricity, human labour and animals.

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“The food system overproduces, wraps food in packaging, embeds energy, chucks away mountains of usable food, and produces food residues. All this is done on such a massive scale that the waste we’ve made is too dangerous even to feed to pigs, one traditional solution.” Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University London.

“I’ve seen bags, bottle caps, plastic film, even lollypop sticks kill innocent sea life. It certainly makes you think about your choices and what happens when you throw stuff ‘away’.” Tim Silverwood, plastic pollution spokesperson and Give a Fork! Ambassador.

DEATH

More than one million birds and marine animals die each year from consuming or becoming caught in plastic and other debris.

WE’RE LOSING THE PEOPLE WHO GROW OUR FOOD

300 Aussie farmers are walking off the land every month and our farmers are almost 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide than any other profession.

COMMUNITY ANIMALS

SERIAL KILLERS

Plastic bags can become serial killers. Once a bag is eaten by an animal, the animal dies and decomposes, releasing the bag back into the environment to kill again.

PLASTIC

Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tonnes of plastic each year, which can cause intestinal injury and death and transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish and marine mammals.

Sadly, our farmers are telling their children not to follow their footsteps into farming. They don’t see it as a sustainable career anymore...

HUNGER JUXTAPOSED WITH WASTE

Whilst we throw out almost half of what’s grown, 2 million Australians don’t have enough to eat and are in need of food aid.

The facts

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Like diamonds, plastics are forever.

The UN estimates that every square mile of ocean contains at least 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.

*except for a tiny portion that has been incinerated

Every piece of plastic we have ever used is still on the planet today.*

© Chris JordanBaby albatross on Midway Atoll, a remote cluster of islands more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent

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wastefree tips, tricks and recipe

ideas

#

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The Solution

While there’s no doubt that systemic change is needed, we, as individuals, play a vital role in driving positive change. The good news is that we can do it easily in our everyday lives

through simple tips and tricks that, as a bonus, make life run smoother overall.

We need to start appreciating food and where it comes from; to reconnect with the people who grow it; to normalise frugal

eating, re-learn some of those basic food-saving skills our grandparents used every day. Basically, we need to learn to

treat food like our ancestors did –

with Respect.

HERE ARE 12 WAYS TO GET YOU WELL ON YOUR WAY TO REMOVING WASTE FROM YOUR LIFE AND IN

TURN, THE WORLD.

Solution 1.

SET UP A COMPOST BIN AT HOME

This is one of the most important tools you’ll need to keep your waste levels down because almost half of household waste is food waste. Composting doesn’t require fancy equipment or even heaps of space – there’s a composting solution for every type of household. See our Composting section for everything you need to know.

Solution 2.

GET CREATIVE WITH LEFTOVERS

Leftovers don’t have to be fed to the dog, they can make delicious meals for days to come. Check out our Six Best Ways to Use up Leftovers.

Solution 3.

CHANGE THE WAY YOU SHOP

Swap pre-packaged, processed food for fresh wholefoods that aren’t choked in packaging. This shift can take a while to get your head around, but believe us, you will feel better for it and so will the planet! Shopping at a farmers’ market is a great way to learn what is in season and to shop packaging-free. Buying dry-goods in bulk and taking your own containers along also saves time in the long-run because you only have to top up a few times a year.

Check out our Where to Shop guide and Shopping Guides that includes our bulk store directory and seasonal produce guides.

Solution 4.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO STRAY FROM THE RECIPE

Let’s be honest, our obsession with weird and wonderful recipes from all over the world can lead to a pantry full of half-opened jars or mouldy herbs. Don’t be afraid to get creative and replace ingredients with things you already have. If not, make a concerted effort to use up anything you bought during the weeks to follow.

Solution 5.

LEARN TO USE PARTS OF THE FRUIT AND VEGIE THAT YOU’D NORMALLY THROW AWAY

Did you know that you can use beetroot leaves, carrot tops, cauliflower leaves, fruit peel, coffee grinds, pumpkin and potato skins... the list goes on! Check out our Yes! You Can Eat It! section and our Kitchen Nightmares section for all of our tips and tricks.

$$$

Avoiding food waste can save the average household over

$1,000 a year – that’s over a month of food shopping or six-months of electricity bills

or an awesome holiday!

For every tonne of food waste not sent to landfill, almost

one tonne of CO2 emissions is saved.

If households reduced their household waste by 66%, the greenhouse gas savings

would be equivalent to taking 117,000 cars permanently

off of the road in NSW alone.

CO2

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Solution 6.

REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD YOU BUY IN PACKAGING AND NEVER SAY YES TO PLASTIC BAGS.

On average, each and every Australian throws away around 200kg of packaging waste per year. Together, that’s 1.9 million tonnes of packaging going into the bin, enough to fill the MCG nine times over.

Simply refuse to buy fruit and vegetables that have been excessively packaged. The beautiful thing about fruit and vegies are that nature has already created perfect packaging in the form of the skin or peel, simple as that.

Remember to take your own shopping bags. Always carry a spare in your bag and don’t forget to do the same when you’re out shopping for clothes or other bits and bobs.

Note: If you do end up with a few plastic bags roaming around the house (tut, tut) then you can find plastic bag recycling points at most major supermarkets.

Solution 7.

PLAN YOUR WEEKLY SHOP AND DON’T GET SUCKED INTO TWO-FOR-ONE DEALS WHEN YOU REALLY ONLY NEED ONE

In the developed world, the major source of food waste is caused by the retailer and the consumer, while in developing countries the problem is far earlier in the food supply chain, due to poor storage and transportation.

This means that in Australia, the power to reduce food waste largely lies with us. Resist the temptation to buy takeaway food if you have a crisper full of vegies. Or if you know that you have some tired vegies, cook up a casserole or make vegie stock and freeze it before it’s too late.

Some diligent meal planning and shopping on a full stomach are all good tricks to avoid excessive waste.

Be mindful of the blood, sweat and tears that went into growing, harvesting and transporting the food that you’re thinking of tossing in the bin. It’s a criminal waste when you look at it like that!

Solution 8.

CARRY A KEEP-CUP, REUSE JARS AND CONTAINERS AND SAY NO TO PLASTIC CUTLERY, STRAWS AND PAPER NAPKINS

If you’re the type of person who grabs a coffee on their way to work, then you are needlessly throwing out over 200 cups a year. Even when made of paper they’re often lined with plastic. Buying a keep cup and keeping it on you is a really easy way to reduce waste.

Get creative. Save jars for your mother-in-law to make her chutney each year, start making birthday and Christmas presents for your friends by re-gifting homemade food in jars. Did you know you can also take your own containers to the butcher, fishmonger, delicatessen or favourite take-away venue to save on plastic waste? It’s also OK to politely refuse the straw, cutlery or paper napkins. Most of the time you don’t need them anyway if you’re heading back to work or eating your take-away at home. You might receive the occasionally weird look from shop attendants, but the more people who do it, the more accepted it will become.

Solution 9.

GROW YOUR OWN

Even if you only have a few pots, growing herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and greens can save you a heap of money and help you to avoid the excessive packaging that these everyday items often come in. Don’t delay, get planting today!

Solution 10.

REPAIR IT

Sew the button back onto your favourite jacket or fix the hole in your socks. Take your old and trusted appliances to be repaired rather than upgrading them every few years. If you can afford it at the time, think about buying furniture and household items to last, rather than searching for the cheapest deal that may not stand the test of time. The op shop can be a great place to start.

Solution 11.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, RECYCLE IT

Although good, recycling isn’t a solution in itself. Packaging takes a lot of energy, water and other natural resources to produce and a lot of resources also go into re-purposing these goods once they end up in our recycling bin. Over the last thirty years, we’ve doubled the amount of natural resources we use in Australia (per capita), including aluminium, tin, steel, sand (for glass) and trees (for paper and cardboard). Plastic, for example, is made from oil – a rare and valuable commodity, which will only become scarcer. Think of recycling as a last resort, not an end game.

Solution 12.

For a neat summary of all of this and more check out our Ambassador Tim Silverwood’s 12 Steps for a Trash Free Future

Recycling plastics uses only 30% of the energy

required to produce the same packaging from fossil fuels.

Shoppers worldwide are using approximately 500 billion single-use plastic bags per year. This translates to about a million bags every minute across the globe, and the number is rising.

If you joined them end on end they would circumnavigate the globe 4,200 times.

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Kitchen nightmares

Putting on a meal for your friends and family can result in some serious levels of food and packaging waste... unless you delve into it with our clever tips for dealing with common problems areas:

Problem 1.

“I don’t want to under-cater”

Solution

Quality over quantity

Problem 2.

“No one wanted to fill up on the bread!”

Solution

Turn leftover bread into croutons or breadcrumbs

Problem 3.

“I bought 5 bunches of herbs and only used 5 tablespoons. Oops.”

Solution

Store leftover herbs properly

Problem 4.

“I don’t know what to do with all the vegie and fruit scraps!”

Solution

Get Creative (see page Yes! You can eat it!) or compost the bits you can’t use

Problem 5.

“I have more leftovers than I can poke a stick at.”

Solution

Reinvent leftovers into tasty meals

The greatest challenge when it comes to putting a menu together is not getting carried away by including too much, which is a sure-fire way to end up with leftovers that end up in the bin. The trick to avoid this is to use the freshest ingredients you can find – flavour over quantity. If you have fresh vibrant flavours, you don’t need huge serves.

And don’t feel as though you can’t stray from the recipe either, otherwise you may end up with an ingredient you’ll only use once.

Bread is pretty much a staple guest of any food affair. In case you end up with leftover slices, chop them up into croutons and pan-fry them in a little olive oil and garlic and serve over soup. Or dry them in the oven, whiz them up in a food processor and store in a glass container.

Store leftover herbs in glass containers lined with paper towel, which helps to wick away moisture and keep the leaves fresh for longer. Keep stems and roots (like coriander or mint) for curry pastes or for stuffing fish or poultry. You can also freeze herbs in olive oil in ice-cube trays, ready to pop straight into the pan. Last, but not least, consider growing a few of your own herbs so that next time you can harvest only what you need.

Don’t send food to landfill because in that environment it rots and emits methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Start your own compost bin/worm farm or ask a neighbour, local cafe or your council if they have composting facilities of their own. Composting is not as tricky as you think, check out our composting guide here.

You can also freeze vegie scraps and turn them into a delicious stock once you’ve collected enough.

If you do happen to have leftovers, store them all separately so that you can create completely different dishes depending on what else you might have in the pantry (e.g., meat in one container, carrots in another, broccoli in another, etc). Use one of the many nifty recipe sites on the interweb to get ideas for how to use ingredients you end up with. Econest has some great ideas for reinventing leftovers into sparkly new meals.

Problem 6

Dips and cheeses come wrapped in plastic, but they’re a staple of my dinner parties

Solution

Seek out your local delicatessen and take your own containers.

Some sales assistants may hesitate or give you a funny look, but be confident and stand your ground – it’s for a good cause and you might just inspire other customers to follow suit.

Ask for local cheeses to be placed straight into your own container, and the same for dips.

the biggest waste traps and how to avoid them

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Tip 1.

Tip 1.

Tip 2.

Tip 3.

Tip 4.

Tip 3.

Tip 1.

Tip 2.

Tip 1.

Tip 2.

Tip 3.

Tip 5.

Tip 2. Tip 4.

Tip 3.

Yes! You can eat it!

Add the young leaves (the smaller ones) raw

to salads.

Carrot tops

Use instead of basil to make a zesty pesto.

Add to salads just like you would mint or

basil.

Chop finely and use instead of parsley to

garnish soups and stews.

Make these delicious Carrot greens with

sesame dressing and serve as a side dish.

Beetroot leaves + stems

Sauté, steam or boil just like you would

silverbeet or spinach. Serve them as side

dishes or add to quiches.

Make this amazing Beet leaf and grilled

haloumi salad.

Broccoli + Cauliflower leaves + stalks

Eat them along with the florets. Add leaves and stalks to the steamer or boiler a little before the florets to give them time to become tender.

Slice the stalks thinly and add to stir-fries.

Make these incredible Sautéed Broccoli Stems with Floret

Vinaigrette.

Celery leavesToss the young ‘white’ leaves raw into salads.

Add them to your favourite smoothie combo.

Chop finely and use as a herb in place of

parsley.

Stir into soups just before serving.

Make this rustic Quick Vinegar-Braised Chicken

with Garlic and Celery Leaves.

Clever ways to use your scraps

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Pumpkin seeds + pumpkin +

potato skins

Turn skins into pumpkin or potato crisps. Toss in salt, a drizzle of olive oil and any spice you like

(smoked paprika works well) and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes

until crisp.

Check out this handy guide for 12 things you can do with pumpkin seeds.

Coffee grounds

Blend with a plant oil such as almond or jojoba and use as a

body exfoliant.

Sprinkle used coffee grounds over and around

your plants to ward off pests and to fertilise.

Fruit peel

Brew in hot water to make a fruity tea.

Turn into fruit crisps. Toss with a little sugar and

cinnamon and bake in a very low oven for 2 hours until crisp. Allow to cool

before storing.

Freeze into ice cubes for a zesty surprise to

add to cold drinks.Tip 1.

Tip 2.

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Tip 2.

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Tip 3.

Cheese rindsPlace cheese rinds in a jar along with a few garlic cloves and fill with olive oil to make

infused oil. Parmesan rinds work especially well for this. Great for dipping bread into.

Add cheese rinds to soups and stocks for

extra flavour.

Make this scrumptious cheese rind soufflé

Tip 1.

Tip 2.

Tip 3.

Keep brown sugar soft by adding a few fruit peels into

the container.

Tip 4.

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Egg shells

Spread egg shells under and around plants to

discourage snails.

Use egg shells to clean the inside of bottles. Crush them up, place them in the bottle, add a little water and swish

until clean.

Meat + fish bones

Store meat and fish bones in bags in the

freezer until you have enough to use them

for stocks.

Some councils collect bones separately for composting, so check

with yours.

Compost

Pop any food scraps you really don’t want to use in a compost bin or worm farm. If home is an apartment without even so much as a balcony, get your hands on a

Bokashi Bucket or other benchtop composting system. Check out our composting guide for useful info about how to compost regardless of where you live.

Tip 1.

Tip 2.

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Jaffle it

Buy or make a loaf of good sourdough. Cut thin slices, butter them, then stuff them with whatever leftover you have – leftover chicken, beef casserole, even spaghetti bolognese. Add fresh herbs or chilli flakes or other spices to jazz up the flavour. You need a jaffle maker for this – a sandwich press won’t suffice as you’ll just get filling spilling everywhere.

the SIX BEST WAYS

Crumb it

A double-whammy waste-saver as it uses up old bread as well as leftover meat. Whiz up old bread (or you can use store-bought breadcrumbs or polenta too) into breadcrumbs and pour into a bowl. You can add some dried herbs to the breadcrumbs for extra flavour.

In a separate bowl, whisk an egg or two. Grab a third bowl and add some plain flour. Pull off bite-sized bits of the meat (whatever it is, this works well with roasted chicken, pork, lamb, beef, duck, fish...) and coat them first in the flour, then the egg, then the crumb mix. Gently fry them in a shallow pan with a little quality cooking oil. This doesn’t take long since the meat is already cooked – it’s just about heating the meat while crisping the coating. Serve with steamed vegies and salad.

Soupify it

You can chuck all manner of leftover goodies (meat, vegetables, pasta, lentils, even whole roasted fish) in a pot, top off with extra vegetables and stock or water and turn it into a tasty soup.

Pie it

A perfect way to use leftover stews and casseroles. Pour the leftovers in a pie dish and top off with mashed potato or pastry. Bake in a moderate oven until topping is cooked through. This works with meat as well as vegetable/lentil/bean stews.

Fritterise or Frittatarise it

Grab leftover veggies such as steamed broccoli or roasted veg, smash up in a bowl, add a small amount of beaten egg so the mixture just comes together, add seasoning and shallow fry until golden on both sides. Add crumbled feta for extra bite. Portable little suckers too! Otherwise beat together an egg mixture, add vegetables and bake in the oven until set.

Just. Add. Pasta

A leftover osso bucco, for example, can easily convert into a ‘ragu’ to serve with good quality pasta. Likewise with steamed or roasted vegetables. Add extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and a little stock to the pan, add your leftover veg, heat up, add the pasta, top with parmesan.

The thought of throwing rotten food in the bin is only slightly more distressing than having the same thing for lunch two days in a row? Econest shares her listicle of ways to re-jig your leftover bits and bobs into brand new dishes. The kids won’t even know they’re eating the same thing twice!

To use up leftovers

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From scraps to scrumptious Recipe

Black bean, eggplant & vegie juice pulp patties

1 Eggplant

1 cup veggie juice scraps – I had carrot, kale, celery, ginger

1 cup black beans (cooked)

1 brown onion

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp. Tamari (organic)

To cook the black beans, rinse and soak the beans overnight in cold water. Rinse again then place in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for about 1 hour or until tender. Allow to cool, then mash.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Place it cut-sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggplant is completely sunken in and tender. Remove to a shallow dish and allow to cool completely.

Dice onion and garlic, sauté lightly.

Once the eggplant is cool, scrape the flesh from the peel. Place the pulp in a food processor and pulse a few times to make a coarse puree. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and add the remaining ingredients and mix well, with hands is best.

Mold into patties and lightly dust with buckwheat flour, heat your coconut oil in a pan and cook until slightly chard. Serve in a burger or with a side salad.

½ tsp. Cumin

1 Tbsp. Turmeric

1 Tbsp. Coriander

1 Tbsp. Curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup Buckwheat flour for dusting

Coconut oil for cooking

Recipe by A Little Bag of Sunshine

winner of the ecostore Scraps to Scrumptious Competition

serves 4 – 6

If you’re big on juicing, you’ll know the perils of trying to make use of all that fruit and veg pulp. Most often, it ends up in the bin. Food blogger, A Little Bit of Sunshine, has come to the rescue with her ingenious pulp patties. Clever, #wastefree and good for ya.

ONE CHOOK, FIFTEEN MEALS

OH, THE FUN YOU CAN HAVE WITH THIS CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE CHALLENGE! To play, it entails starting with one (bulk-cooking) dish, then dragging out the various leftovers, scraps and by-products from there. An organic chicken ain’t always cheap. But you can make it work for you by extending it to create a number of different meals.

THAT’S 6 CONNECTED MEALS – 15 SERVES –

FROM THE ONE CHOOK!

1 For instance, I start with a whole chook and make Crispy Roast Chook Makes: 4 serves.

2 I then take the leftovers to make the Roast Dinner Gratin for the next day. Makes: 1 serve.

3 I freeze the remaining portion and use it to make the Chicken Pops at a later date. Makes: 4 snacks.

4 The carcass from the roast is then used to make Leftovers Chicken Stock Makes: 1.5 litres (6 serves).

5 Some of the stock is used to make Sweet Fennel and Beetroot Leaf Soup the following week.

6 Some of the stock is used to make vietnamese chicken curry

7 I’ll then drink a cup of the stock on its own, for an energy kick.

8 And any leftovers, which I keep in an ice-cube tray, are used to cook my next Crispy Roast Chicken.

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From Sarah Wilson’s book I Quit Sugar for Life... Published by Macmillan

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Tools + shopping guides

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Where to shop?

YOU WANT TO BUY FOOD THAT’S BETTER FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY, FARMERS, THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO? SUPERMARKETS AIN’T CUTTING IT FOR YOU? HERE’S OUR QUICK GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE FOOD OUTLETS:

Farmers’ markets bring many food producers together, offering a variety of seasonal and regional produce picked fresh, sometimes that very day. They’re easy, convenient and a fun way to find local produce and as a customer you can ask the farmer questions about how the produce was grown.

Check out Australian Farmers’ Market Association (farmersmarkets.org.au) for a list of markets in each state, or use Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org.au) to find one close to you – enter your postcode and type ‘farmers market’.

Are you interested in developing a closer connection with your source of food? Consider becoming involved in community supported agriculture (CSA). A CSA extends participation into the production of the food you eat, such that you invest and share in the risks and benefits of growing food on a specific farm.

Use Local Harvest to find a local CSA – enter your postcode and type ‘CSA’.

www.localharvest.org.au

Next time you get out of town or head down the coast, look into farms who operate a farmgate or seafood providers selling at co-ops near a pier or fresh off the boat. ‘Pick-your-own’ farms, farmgates and cellar doors offer unique experiences: visiting the source of your produce and meeting the growers.

Use Local Harvest to find farm gates close to you – enter your postcode and type ‘farmgate’.

www.localharvest.org.au

Take the time and effort out of food shopping and sign up to a sustainable box system. Produce boxes strike the balance between convenience, ethical, health and environmental sustainability.

Use Local Harvest to find a box system that delivers to your area – enter your postcode and type ‘box system’, or do a quick internet search.

www.localharvest.org.au

If you love to grow your own food, but find yourself with too much of the one thing, then food-swaps are for you. Search online, talk to other gardeners, community noticeboards or start your own is a great way to get involved with a local swap.

Use Local Harvest to find a food swap near you – enter your postcode and ‘food swap website’.

www.localharvest.org.au

If you love the idea of meeting people in your local area, sharing food stories and buying in bulk together to avoid packaging then get on down to your local food co-op. Food co-ops are owned by members and typically sell organic, local and ethically sourced groceries in bulk. Food co-ops can be stores or groups that can, because of their collective buying power, provide these items in a more economical way. Producers who work with co-ops have the benefit of selling in bulk and use less packaging.

Use Local Harvest to find a food co-op close to you – enter your postcode and type ‘co-op’.

www.localharvest.org.au

Bulk food stores allow you to shop for everything from rice to shampoo using your own reusable containers; enjoying all your staples without packaging. It’s also a cheaper way to shop, so you’ll be doing your hip pocket a favour too.

Use our Aus-wide Bulk Store Directory to find a bulk food store near you.

1. Farmers’ Markets

2.Farm gates or fresh off the boat 3.Box systems for the busy folk

4.Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) 5.Food Swaps

6.Food Co-ops 7.Bulk food stores

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shopping Guides

Bulk Store

Directory

Australia’s popular dairy brands and who owns them

(87.92% of shares)

Japan

sustainabletable.org.au

New Zealand

Canada

(Lactalis – France) New Zealand

Seasonal Produce Guide

Ethical meat suppliersFree range egg and chicken guide

Sustainable Seafood GuidePalm Oil Guide Bulk Store Directory Ethical Dairy Guide

USE OUR HANDY CUT ‘N’ KEEP GUIDES AND ONLINE DIRECTORIES TO FIND SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL PRODUCE NEAR YOU:

A guide to free range eggs & chicken

ethical meat Suppliers

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Regular compost bin

A terrific option for people with a garden. You don’t need a special ‘compost’ bin – there are many ways to DIY a compost bin and a quick internet search will give you a plethora of great ideas and instructions. Compost bins are generally low maintenance, although you do have to turn the contents over with a shovel regularly to maintain aeration. Even that step depends on which unit you choose – some compost bins are designed to eliminate this step. Then all you have to do is sprinkle the composted material throughout your garden to fertilise and encourage healthy growth.

The anyone’s guide to composting

Worm farm

Worms are soil’s best friends. Worms help to break down organic matter and release nutrients into the soil that feed microbes and other beneficial bacteria, which in turn further break down nutrients, making them available to plants. Anyone can have a worm farm and they’re especially fun for kids. For a full run-down on how to create and maintain a worm farm, watch Costa’s video here.

Almost half of the rubbish we send to landfill is food waste. When organic matter like food waste rots in the anaerobic environment of landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more toxic than the carbon pollution that comes out of your car exhaust.

Composting or worm farming your food scraps stops this sort of pollution. If households reduced their waste by half, the greenhouse gas savings would be equivalent to taking 117,000 cars permanently off of the road in NSW alone!1 Put another way, for every tonne of food waste not sent to landfill, almost one tonne of CO2 emissions is saved.

Green Cone Solar Compost Digester

A Green Cone is a terrific option for people with a front or backyard but not necessarily a garden to take care of. A Green Cone is a simple, low maintenance composting unit that breaks down food waste until it becomes nutrient rich liquid, which then filters safely into the soil. The great benefit is that you can throw everything in here, including meat and bones with no issue. It doesn’t produce a ‘compost’ as such, so is the ideal choice for those with no garden. Many councils are currently trialling the use of Green Cones in the community, with plans to make these available to all households in the future. Some councils are already selling Green Cones to residents, so check in with yours.

I have a yard & garden: I have a yard but no real garden

How to set yourself up with a composting system no matter where you live! Home composting is one of the best things each of us can do for the environment, whether you have a garden or not.

1 Love Food Hate Waste. Food Waste Avoidance Benchmark Study. Environment Protection Authority. June 2012. Accessed 30 Jul 2014.

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Vegetable and fruit scraps

vegetable oil

prunings and lawn clippings

tea bags and coffee grounds

vacuum cleaner dust

shredded paper and cardboard (including toilet paper rolls)

used potting mix

egg shells

flowers

pet and human hair.

Watch Costa Georgiadis talk about how to start and maintain a compost bin here.

Diseased plants

metals

plastic and glass

animal manures

animal fat

glossy magazines or receipts (they are coated in plastic film)

large branches

weeds that have seeds or underground stems

sawdust from treated timber

pet droppings

synthetic chemicals.

+ -Indoor or bench top composting bucket

This is the easy option for people with no garden, for instance someone living in an apartment. Also known as Bokashi bins, indoor or bench top composting units allow you to place all your food scraps in a handy bench top or under-the-sink unit, to which you add a special spray or composting ash that helps the food scraps break down quickly. The food breaks down inside the bucket, releasing a liquid that is drained off and used as fertiliser on plants (alternatively it can be poured down the drain – it cleans the drains) and a pulp that can be buried or mixed with soil. The units do not emit any odours. There are many companies selling indoor and bench top composting buckets these days, it’s simply a matter of finding one you like.

I don’t have a yard or a garden

You live in an apartment with no garden, so you can’t compost, right? Wrong! Even if you don’t have a garden, you can use a bench-top or indoor composter to avoid sending food waste to landfill. If you have a balcony, mix the contents of your bench-top or indoor composter in a large tub of soil. This will turn into compost which will nourish other pot plants. If you don’t have any plants, perhaps your neighbours do? Or other houses on the street? Friends or family might like some compost for their own gardens too. You could also arrange to donate your compost to a local school or kindergarten or community garden. The options are endless. Alternatively, some councils have regular organic waste pick-up which you can arrange by contacting them directly – this would be a great thing to get your body corporate behind so that all apartments in your block can get composting!

What to do if you don’t have a garden

Meat and bones can be added to the Green Cone with no issue. Meat can be added to most indoor or bench top units. Many say that you should not add meat or bones to a regular backyard compost bin or worm farm, but this article begs to differ and explains how to do it.

What to add to your compost bin

What not to add to your compost bin

Can you add meat and bones to your compost or worm farm?

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OUR GIVE A FORK! AMBASSADOR TIM SILVERWOOD SHARES HIS PEARLS OF WISDOM FOR HOW TO ACHIEVE A TRASH FREE FUTURE.

#trashfreefuture

timsilverwood.com

@timsilverwood

Tip 1.

REFUSE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS

If we don’t create waste we don’t create problems. Simple.

Tip 2.

BYOR

Say “No” to disposable products and Bring Your Own Reusables including bags, bottles,

cups, cutlery and containers.

Tip 3.

DON’T DRINK BOTTLED WATER

The jury is out, bottled water is bad for the planet, your wallet and your own health. Get a

filter, get a reusable bottle and Go Tap!

Tip 4.

COMPOST FOOD WASTE

Over 40% of landfill waste is organic material. Compost food waste and drastically reduce

your waste footprint.

Tip 5.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

We all know these famous three. Reduce how much you consume, reuse items wherever

possible and if it’s recyclable at the end of its life then recycle it!

Tip 6.

BUY SECOND HAND, REPAIR AND SHARE

Why buy new when you can buy second hand? Why throw it away if it can be repaired? Why

own when you can rent or share? Think outside the box and save time, money and the planet.

Tip 7.

RESPONSIBLE E-WASTE DISPOSAL

Electronic waste is a growing problem. Contact your local council to learn about where you

can recycle e-waste near you.

Tip 8.

BUY LOCAL AND GROW LOCAL

Support local farmers and businesses that use local ingredients. Shop at farmers markets and local co-ops. Eat seasonal produce and grow

your own food! You’ll create less waste and eat healthier!

Tip 9.

VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET

Support businesses doing ‘good’ and get vocal with those that aren’t. You earned those

dollars, spend them wisely!

Tip 10.

SUPPORT LEGISLATION CHANGE

Laws are essential to reduce the prevalence of ‘bad plastic’. Support bans on problem items and encourage extended producer

responsibility.

Tip 11.

GET INFORMED AND SPREAD THE WORD

Knowledge is power. Get educated about the issue and spread the word. We need more

people like YOU to be an advocate for change.

Tip 12.

CLEAN THE PLANET

Be part of the solution, if you see trash on the ground: Pick it up and Bin It! Take 3 for the Sea everyday and get involved in other

clean up activities. Share your pictures and tag #take3forthesea to show the world you care.

$$$

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Links to loverestaurants that give a fork!

This October, you can also Give a Fork! by dining at any one of our participating restaurants and cafes around Australia.

Head down to any one of our participating restaurants and ask for their Give a Fork! special. This year, restaurants are participating in any number of ways; donating $2 for every creative #wastefree Give a Fork! special sold; pledging $1 for every coffee sold in a reusable cup; removing plastic straws for the month of October.

visit giveafork.com.au to find a Give a Fork! restaurant near you.

Sustainable Table is a young and innovative not-for-profit organisation that empowers people to use their shopping dollar to vote for a food system that is fair, humane, healthy and good for the environment. With up to 60% of our personal eco-footprint embodied in the food that we buy, there is no better place to start.

We work hard to educate consumers to make more sustainable food choices. We do this by providing endless free and helpful resources, educational events and by supporting sustainable development projects locally and abroad.

It is an inescapable fact that the environmental issues of today are all linked to our food system. Without a sustainable environment we will not have enough food to feed ourselves, and without a sustainable food system we will not have a natural environment to support our food-growing capacity.

To learn more about our local and international projects, visit sustainabletable.org.au

About sustainable table

Sustainable Tablesustainabletable.org.au

Love Food Hate Waste NSW lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au

FoodWise foodwise.com.au

Foodbankfoodbank.org.au

Clean Upcleanup.org.au

Take 3 take3.org.au

Tim Silverwood timsilverwood.com

Sarah Wilsonsarahwilson.com

Costa Georgiadiscostasworld.org

Sustainable Table t 03 8644 4050

e info@sustainabletable.org.au

sustainabletable.org.au