Make every day a Stop Food Waste Day

Posted on: April 26, 2023

Chucking together a ‘use-it up meal’ is a great way to save time, money and food from going to waste. Each year, GREAT Sorts across WA save around $1000 by creating healthy and fresh meals from the things they have in their pantry and fridge. 

GREAT Sorts go FIFO (First In, First Out) and rotate existing items to the front when unloading groceries, so they’ll be grabbed first. They often set up a special area in their fridge and pantry for older item that need using up. st.

Almost everyone cooks a meal from ingredients already on hand, but if you want to make a big difference and save food from going to waste, join other GREAT Sorts and plan a ‘use it up’ day once or twice each week.

An egg roll using up leftover vegetables

Here are some of the fabulous ways you've told us that you ‘use it up’:

  • Make a soup or stir-fry with whatever is left in your kitchen.
  • Use leftover cooked veggies in a quiche, frittata, or on a pizza.
  • Make pesto with veggie leaves and stems.
  • Use leftover meat for curries, kebabs and pasties.
  • Pile leftovers like roasted veggies, meat and cheese into tortillas or wraps
  • Blend surplus fruit into a smoothie or bake in muffins
  • Use leftover bones, meat, and veggie offcuts to make stock
  • Put extra bread to good use in bread-and-butter puddings, salads and toasties

When people are seeking inspiration, they go to the Zero Waste Recipe Generator. Simply enter your ingredients, for thousands of recipe ideas. Yum!

Others tell us they love the 'Use it up’ recipes by OzHarvest.

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If you need a kick-start to changing habits, then why not try these tips to help remind you of how you're cutting down on waste.