Australians wasting $10 billion in food each year

Australian households are wasting almost $1100 on food each year, collectively throwing $10 billion in the bin, according to the RaboDirect Food & Farming Report 2016.

Consumers around Australia claim to spend over $720 billion on groceries annually, with families spending almost $30 per week just on groceries for each individual child. New South Wales spends the most on groceries — an average of $159/week — with Tasmanian residents spending the least, $136/week.

Who are Australia’s biggest wasters?

NSW is also home to the most wasters, with 18% of respondents saying they waste more than 20% of their food each week. Gen Y is the most wasteful generation, with more than one in four claiming to waste more than 20% of food each week. Capital city dwellers are generally more wasteful than those in regional areas, and those who believe there will always be an abundance of natural resources are also more likely to waste food.

Food and financial happiness

The report also revealed a correlation between food waste, financial duress and happiness levels.

Those who waste more than half their food each week are more likely to indicate they “always feel like they’re in the red” or “need to scrimp and save to make ends meet” compared to those who waste less food. While 72% of males and 83% of females surveyed feel unhappy when food is wasted, throwing out food continues to be an issue for all Australians.