Step 1: Know your waste

Before you try to save food, track how much and what kind of food you’re throwing away. You might be surprised by what you're throwing out. Tracking will help work out what you’re aiming for. After you've made some changes, you can compare the difference. Use the following tips to track your food waste.

Keep a food waste journal

Keep a notepad on the kitchen bench or use your phone or other device to record all the food waste in your household. Include containers of food, unused fruits and vegetables, half-eaten products, plate scraps or lunchbox leftovers.

Record how much of it there is, how much you think it cost, and why it’s being thrown away (for example, out of date, uneaten, forgotten about, didn’t use).

Take a photo

Before you bin it, collect household scraps in a container in the kitchen. At the end of the day, take a photo of it.

At the end of the week write down the most common items thrown away, or any other patterns you notice, and the total volume of what ended up in the bin.

Clean out your fridge

What’s hiding at the back of the bottom shelf? Before your next grocery shop, clean out all the unwanted or unused items in your fridge. Include fruit and veggies that have seen better days and that you know you won’t use.

Put all the food on the counter and take a photo.

To help track your food waste, use our Food waste audit sheet(PDF, 103KB)

Next steps

Now that you are planning your meals and shopping from the plan, you are ready for Step 3. Keep it fresh will help you conquer food waste in the kitchen.

Step 2: Plan, prepare and purchase