Did you know that every year a third of all food is lost or wasted?

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, this amounts to roughly 1.3 billion tons of food, or the equivalent of feeding 815 million people – four times over!

Food waste alone costs consumers nearly $1 trillion a year, but when you factor in the resources and time put into growing, processing, and transporting this food, that figure is more than doubled!

Wasted food also severely damages the environment, generating an estimated 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas a year.

It means that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world, behind only the US and China.

By throwing food in the bin we are also throwing away our money and our planet, something that is no longer sustainable.

But what can we do to change it?

In China, people are being asked to take a proactive approach to tackle food waste.

“Operation Clean Plate”, has been launched by the national government to curb how much food Chinese consumers throw away.

Posters have sprung up in restaurants and canteens across the country asking customers to request smaller portions and order less when eating out.

For those who can’t quite resist just one more dish, diners are also being encouraged to take home their leftovers, although finishing the food is advised given plastic containers are not eco-friendly either.

It is steps like these that will help us move the needle towards less food waste in society.

Our planet will be better if all of us are committed to reducing food waste, and no matter how big or small the person or society is, everyone can play their part.