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, Chair 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.”
“Environmental responsibility is one of the key areas of Council’s strategic focus,” says City of Lethbridge Mayor, Blaine Hyggen. “This new partnership will help us to raise awareness of food wastage within our community, lessen the load at our landfill and contribute to the push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by our community.”
“Strathcona County is proud to partner with the National Zero Waste Council and the Recycling Council of Alberta on this campaign to prevent household food waste,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “This initiative aligns with the goals of our recent Waste Roadmap to rethink our waste and reduce the amount we generate.”
“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.”
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.
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:
• Creative recipes for the most commonly-wasted foods
• Food storage guidance
• Demystifying “best before” dates
• Inspiration for using up seasonal and holiday leftovers
• Canning and food preservation
• Meal planning and batch cooking