FOOD WASTE
FACT LIBRARY

Food waste costs Australia over $36 billion each year, with significant impacts on our environment, economy, and communities. As your trusted source for evidence-based research, this library brings together reliable data and insights to help you understand the issue, support effective solutions, and drive meaningful change.

Use it to inform decisions, shape policy, strengthen communications, and take action toward halving food waste by 2030.

SELECT FACT CATEGORY

  • WHY FOOD WASTE IS A PROBLEM
  • THE IMPACTS OF HOUSEHOLDS ON FOOD WASTE ARE REAL
  • HOW BUSINESSES CAN REALLY TURN THE DIAL
  • WHY POLICY REFORM IS NEEDED
  • ALL FACTS
In 2025, food businesses participating in the Australian Food Pact unlocked $12 million additional revenue by transforming unsold food into higher-value uses – including innovative new food products and commercial redistribution.

Australian Food Pact Annual Reporting, End Food Waste Australia, 2025

Food waste costs the Australian economy an estimated $36.6 billion annually, equivalent to 1.4 per cent of GDP and more than half the value created by agricultural GDP, making it one of the largest sources of avoidable productivity loss in the economy.

FIAL, 2021. The National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study – Final Report.

THROWING AWAY ONE BURGER WASTES THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER AS A TWO-HOUR SHOWER. 

Based on water used to produce a burger as determined by the Water Footprint Calculator.

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EACH YEAR, 7.6 MILLION TONNES OF FOOD IS WASTED ACROSS THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD SYSTEM, ENOUGH TO FILL THE MCG 10 TIMES. THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO 312KG PER PERSON.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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THE EQUIVALENT OF 29 MILLION MEALS ARE THROWN AWAY EVERY DAY ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN IN AUSTRALIA - THE SAME AS PROVIDING EVERY PERSON WITH LUNCH EVERY DAY.

Derived from data in FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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THERE ARE 3.5 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS IN AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY.

Foodbank, 2025.
Hunger Report.

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APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THE FOOD WASTE ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS EDIBLE.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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17.5 MILLION TONNES OF CO2 EQUIVALENT GREENHOUSE GASES ARE GENERATED FROM THE PRODUCTION AND DISPOSAL OF FOOD THAT IS WASTED IN AUSTRALIA EACH YEAR. THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO 3.5% OF AUSTRALIA’S ANNUAL EMISSIONS.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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IT TAKES A LANDMASS BIGGER THAN VICTORIA, 25.73 MILLION HECTARES, TO GROW ALL THE FOOD THAT IS WASTED IN AUSTRALIA EACH YEAR.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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THE WATER USED TO GROW THE FOOD WE WASTE IN AUSTRALIA EACH YEAR IS ENOUGH TO FILL THE SYDNEY HARBOUR 5 TIMES.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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ONE-THIRD OF FOOD PRODUCED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IS LOST OR WASTED GLOBALLY.

Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., & Sonesson, U., 2011.
Global Food Losses and Food Waste: Extent, Causes and Prevention. FAO.

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AN ESTIMATED 8-10 PER CENT OF GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD THAT IS NOT CONSUMED.

United Nations Environment Programme, 2021.
Food Waste Index Report 2021. Nairobi.

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IF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE WERE A COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE THE THIRD BIGGEST SOURCE OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BEHIND CHINA AND THE USA.

Scialabba, 2015.
Food Wastage Footprint and Climate Change. FAO.

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GLOBALLY, 733 MILLION PEOPLE FACED HUNGER IN 2023.

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2024.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 – Financing to End Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in All Its Forms. Rome.

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BY HALVING FOOD WASTE IN AUSTRALIA BY 2030, WE WOULD AVOID 50MT CO2-EQ GHG EMISSIONS - THE EQUIVALENT TO TAKING HALF OF AUSTRALIA’S VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD FOR A YEAR.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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FOOD WASTE IN THE HOUSEHOLD MAKES UP ALMOST ONE THIRD OF THE TOTAL FOOD WASTE IN AUSTRALIA (2.46 MILLION TONNES).

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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AUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLDS WASTE MORE THAN TWICE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAN THEY THINK THEY DO.

Karunasena, G.G., Pearson, D., and Fight Food Waste CRC, 2021. Australian Household Food Waste: A Summary of Behaviours, Attitudes, Perceived and Actual Food Waste. Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Adelaide, Australia.

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AUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLDS WASTE MORE THAN FOUR KILOGRAMS OF FOOD A WEEK.

Karunasena, G.G., Pearson, D., and Fight Food Waste CRC, 2021. Australian Household Food Waste: A Summary of Behaviours, Attitudes, Perceived and Actual Food Waste. Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Adelaide, Australia.

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THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD THROWS 265KGS OF FOOD WASTE IN THE BIN A YEAR.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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FOOD WASTE IS COSTING HOUSEHOLDS $2,500 EACH YEAR, MORE THAN THE AVERAGE ELECTRICITY BILL.

Karunasena, G.G., Pearson, D., and Fight Food Waste CRC, 2021. Australian Household Food Waste: A Summary of Behaviours, Attitudes, Perceived and Actual Food Waste. Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Adelaide, Australia.

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SINCE LAUNCHING THE GREAT UNWASTE, OUR NATIONWIDE CONSUMER CAMPAIGN TO HELP CONSUMERS REDUCE WASTE AND SAVE MONEY AT HOME, WE HAVE DELIVERED A NEAR 400% INCREASE IN AWARENESS OF FOOD WASTE.

WhereTo Research Based Consulting, 2025. In-Market Research Report, Wave 1, Version 4, Final, February 2025.

The report is confidential – please contact the campaign team

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FOOD WASTE COSTS BUSINESSES AN AVERAGE OF 5.6% OF TOTAL SALES.

Capgemini, 2022. Reflect, Rethink, Reconsider: Why Food Waste Is Everybody’s Problem.

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FOR EVERY $1 INVESTED IN FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION, A COMPANY SITE ON AVERAGE SAW A $14 RETURN.

Champions 12.3, 2017. The Business Case for Reducing Food Loss and Waste.

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91% OF CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO BUY FROM BRANDS/RETAILERS THAT DISCLOSE INFORMATION ON THEIR FOOD WASTE.

Capgemini, 2022. Reflect, Rethink, Reconsider: Why Food Waste Is Everybody’s Problem.

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AUSTRALIAN FOOD PACT SIGNATORIES DECREASED FOOD WASTE BY 13% FROM 2022 TO 2024.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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SIGNATORIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD PACT MORE THAN HALVED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD WASTE THEY SENT TO LANDFILL SINCE 2022.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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SIGNATORIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD PACT HAVE DONATED A TOTAL OF 254 MILLION MEALS TO FOOD RESCUE ORGANISATIONS SINCE 2022.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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SIGNATORIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD PACT SAVED $57 MILLION BY REDUCING FOOD WASTE BY 16,000 TONNES IN 2024.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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SIGNATORIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD PACT SAVED $2 MILLION IN LANDFILL LEVIES, BY DIVERTING FOOD WASTE.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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SINCE 2022, PACT SIGNATORIES HAVE SAVED AN ESTIMATED 505,000 TONNES OF CO2-EQUIVALENT EMISSIONS. THAT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF TAKING 210,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD FOR A YEAR.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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100% OF SIGNATORIES MANAGE THEIR FOOD WASTE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FOOD WASTE HIERARCHY, AN INCREASE FROM 67% IN 2022, REFLECTING AN INCREDIBLE SHIFT FROM SIMPLY MANAGING WASTE TO ACTIVELY PREVENTING IT FROM OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

End Food Waste Australia, 2025. Australian Food Pact Impact Report.

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TWO-THIRDS (OR 2/3) OF FOOD WASTE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS STILL PERFECTLY EDIBLE AND COULD HAVE BEEN SOLD, RATHER THAN THROWN AWAY.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICE DATE LABELLING AND SAFELY EXTENDING USE BY DATES COULD SAVE 935,000 (ALMOST 1 MILLION) TONNES OF FOOD WASTE FROM 2020 TO 2030.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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ADDRESSING UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES COULD REDUCE AUSTRALIA’S TOTAL FOOD WASTE BY 470,000 TONNES OVER 10 YEARS.

FIAL, 2021.
The National Food Waste Strategy
Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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KEEPING 500,000 TONNES OF FOOD WASTE IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY COULD YIELD UP TO $1 BILLION OF NET BENEFIT FOR THE AGRIFOOD INDUSTRY.

Derived from in-house modelling using figures from FIAL, 2021. The National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study – Final Report.

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