Fighting food waste on the Coffs Coast

A Coffs Coast senior living community is using creative ways to help combat the climate crisis.

Chef Terry Smith and Cook Kay Smith at Ingenia Gardens Coffs Harbour.

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A Coffs Coast senior living community is playing its part to help combat the climate crisis – using innovative ways to cut its food waste by half and preventing almost half a tonne from ending up in the bin each year.

As part of the ‘Your Business is Food’ initiative for residential aged care facilities, Ingenia Gardens is putting steps in place to reduce its environmental impact.

The program is being delivered in the area by a partnership between the NSW Government and MidWaste.

Sandra Luke, Manager of Ingenia Gardens Coffs Harbour, said it was simple changes made by kitchen staff that had resulted in significant savings after a review revealed food was being wasted during preparation and left uneaten by the residents.

She said staff were now creatively using leftovers in the next day’s menu and through ‘mixed desserts’ on Wednesdays, and had reduced the number of portions cooked.

“We have now cut our food waste by 49 per cent or 8.5kg each week and reduced our spoilage and tray waste to zero. This adds up to an annual cost saving of $1,780,” she said.

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“We’re also now capturing our food scraps such as peelings, skins and outer leaves in a compost bin so we have a great mulch to use on our gardens around the village.”

MidWaste Coordinator Ali Bigg said eliminating food waste had the potential to save 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – equivalent to taking one in four cars off the road.

“It’s not just food and money being wasted, but also the time and effort of staff, and the resources that went into growing, producing, selling and transporting the food,” she said.

“We know it’s important for aged care businesses to provide residents with the right amount of healthy, nutritious food while running an efficient and cost-effective kitchen.

“The tailored program addresses the unique challenges faced by the aged care sector, ensuring the health and wellbeing of residents remains the key priority.”

The ‘Your Business Is Food’ program involves a step-by-step guide to measure food waste and an easy action plan to make significant savings.

Aged Care providers on the Mid North Coast can find out more by [e-mail]

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