Old Bar Public School embraces Food Smart
Published on 17 August 2018
Families at Old Bar Public School have become Food Smart champions, joining more than a dozen schools and early childhood centres across the Mid North Coast in the MIDWASTE Food Smart Families project.
The project is aimed at raising awareness of food waste in the home, and educating local families in food waste reduction techniques. The project is running across six council areas on the mid north coast, including MidCoast Council, and is part of the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Love Food Hate Waste state-wide Food Smart program.
The average NSW household throws away $3,800 of edible food each year. While we don't intend to, we often waste good food because we buy too much, cook too much, or don't store food correctly. Food Smart is a free education program that helps people reduce food waste at home.
More than 100 Old Bar Public School families are now actively participating in the program.
“The Food Smart Families Project has given us a wonderful opportunity to talk with families about what they can do in their own homes to make much better use of the food that they buy, while saving money and helping the environment” school principal Deborah Scanes said.
“We promoted Food Smart at our recent open day during education week and offered bees wax wrap workshops to participating families, helping them to keep their food fresh for longer while reducing plastic waste.”
All participating households received a free tool kit with items such as bag clips and food huggers to help them keep their food fresh for longer. Families measure the food waste at the start and end of the program to monitor the progress of their food waste reduction.
To find out how to be Food Smart at home, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/at-home/six-steps-reducing-food-waste-at-home
Midwaste’s Food Smart project has been supported with a $13,500 grant from the NSW EPA's Waste Less Recycle More Love Food Hate Waste program, funded from the waste levy.
Driven by Midwaste Regional Waste Forum, this program supports the Re-Imagine Waste initiative running across the MidCoast region, aimed at reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.