The Table Matters Network wanted to help residents waste less food so they created the North Shore Foodprint Challenge.
Food is wasted by farmers and retailers but about half of the waste happens in our own homes.
In Canada, an average family of four throws out approximately $1,500 of food per year, or approximately 471 grams per day.
As part of the challenge, community members volunteered to weigh and report their preventable food waste, meaning any food that could have been eaten but was thrown out, for five days in April.
Over the course of the challenge, participants wasted a total of 64 kilograms of food, with a daily household average of 302 grams. This is equivalent to throwing out three or four perfectly good apples every day.
Participants commented that they were not aware of how much food they waste.
During the challenge, the most common reason food was wasted was that it went past the best before date.
It's important to note that it may not have been necessary to throw out these items. According to Health Canada, an unopened item, stored properly, can often be eaten past the best before date since these dates refer to the freshness, flavour and texture of the food and not food safety either before or after the date. If stored properly, many fresh foods like eggs, milk and yogurt can be eaten soon after their best before dates.
Participants also prepared or cooked too much food, and this food often ended up in the garbage or green can.
Meal planning, portion control and using up leftovers are some simple strategies that can help everyone waste less perfectly good food, suggests Jenn Meilleur of the North Shore Recycling Program.
Foodprint participants reported that the challenge helped them to change their habits around using up leftovers and preparing the right amount of food to serve.
The Foodprint Challenge, an initiative of Table Matters, Vancouver Coastal Health and the North Shore Recycling Program, will run again this fall.
The Table Matters Network is comprised of people who live, work and eat locally. The network aims to make healthy food accessible for all and supports a sustainable food system through the promotion of food policies and community development projects. To learn more, visit tablematters.ca or lovefoodhatewaste.ca.
