Alberta joining food waste prevention campaign

Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) Canada is coming to Alberta, thanks to a new partnership with local and provincial organizations.

The Recycling Council of Alberta, Strathcona County, and the City of Lethbridge have joined with the National Zero Waste Council, and communities and businesses across Canada, to help people prevent household food waste.

“We’re pleased that these new Alberta partners have joined forces with us to reach more Canadians with our practical, informative and empowering message,” said Jack Froese, chairman of the National Zero Waste Council.

“Our work is all about helping people get the most from the food they buy, not just for the sake of their wallets, but for the sake of the planet, too.”

Huge waste

Household food waste is a significant issue in Canada. Sixty-three per cent of the food Canadian households throw away could have been eaten.

For the average household, that is the equivalent of 4.5 meals per week or 140 kilograms of wasted food per year, at a cost of $1,300. For Canada as a whole, that amounts to 2.3 million tonnes – or $21 billion worth of edible food waste every year.

The estimated environmental impact of household food waste is also staggering, contributing 6.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. By preventing food waste at home, citizens can help in the fight against climate change: every tonne of household food waste that is avoided is the equivalent of taking one car off the road each year.

“We are proud to partner on the Love Food Hate Waste campaign,” said Christina Seidel, executive director, Recycling Council of Alberta.

“This project fits well with our mandate to work with municipalities across Alberta to create opportunities to design out waste and conserve resources to transition to a circular economy.”

Inspire prevention

Based on research into what leads to food waste in the first place, LFHW Canada delivers campaigns designed to inspire and empower people to prevent food waste at home by focusing on three key behaviours:
• Plan it out: buy just what you need;
• Use it up: use what you buy;
• Keep it fresh: store food properly so it stays fresh longer.

Over the course of the next year, LFHW Canada, in collaboration with the Recycling Council of Alberta, Strathcona County and the City of Lethbridge, will reach local Alberta residents via in-person events and outreach, social media engagement and advertising.

A range of food-saving tips and strategies will be shared, including:
recipes, guidance on storage, understanding “best before” dates, using leftovers, food preservation, and meal planning.

Love Food Hate Waste Canada was launched nationwide in 2018 by the National Zero Waste Council in partnership with metropolitan governments, provincial organizations, and major retailers. First introduced in the United Kingdom, Love Food Hate Waste is also active in New Zealand, Australia.