Every Bite has released its first annual report outlining in-depth its work, methods and outcomes in preventing food waste. What emerges are good news stories about how communities and individuals are connecting with each other and learning how to address Aotearoa NZ’s serious food waste problem.

“A lot of us tend to underestimate how much food we actually waste, and there is a lack of public awareness of how our behaviours impact food systems and lead to environmental degradation. Whilst most people declare that wasting food feels wrong, the complexity of our food systems combined with busy lives make it challenging to see how much food we do waste and build new habits to address this,” says Every Bite’s project manager Rachel Glaiser.

“This is why Every Bite was developed: to build a community of people making small but practical changes that over time will see a big impact. It is a model based on the zero waste hierarchy that prioritises preventing food waste in the first place rather than reducing it once it is created.”

The project aims to help New Zealanders make simple changes at home to waste less food.

“The Every Bite programme runs over four weeks and can be done in person or online, making it flexible for busy households. Among other things, participants receive a toolkit to experiment with ways to prevent food waste in their homes. The programme kick-off event brings people together and includes tips, tricks and hacks from zero waste chefs and others who have lots of experience in tackling their food waste.

“We all need inspiration, knowledge, practical tools and support so we can try new things at home to see what works for us. We are constantly learning how to build new habits and stay motivated to keep going on this journey. These learnings, together with staying across the latest research in behaviour change and food waste, are helping us to continue to improve the programme for our communities.”

“Every Bite’s first year involved four Hub partners who delivered the programme: Wastebusters (Wānaka), Sustainable Hawke's Bay (Hastings), Environment Network Manawatū (Palmerston North), and Go Eco (Hamilton). These four Hubs brought experience, deep community connections and were strong collaborators.”

“Every Bite is excited to now move into years two and three of the programme, where it will reach new communities, welcome new Hubs, and deliver real impact to prevent food waste in Aotearoa.”

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