Portia Woodman-Wickliffe Shines A Spotlight On The Nation’s Food Waste Progress, Encouraging Kiwis To Stay In The Game

New research released today reveals New Zealand households have made remarkable progress in reducing food waste in the past year, cutting the annual amount wasted by an estimated $300 million in the past year alone from $3.2 to $2.9 billion. That’s the equivalent of feeding 536,000 Kiwis for an entire year.

As the national conversation around food waste continues, nearly half (49%) of all New Zealand households have taken action to reduce their food waste over the past 12 months. This focus on reduction is driven by rising food prices (39%), purchasing less food (33%), and improved food storage practices (30%).

The nationally representative study of 1,500 New Zealanders by HelloFresh was undertaken to gain a deeper understanding of Kiwis food waste habits, and how the results stack up year-on-year. The findings come as rugby legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe teams up with HelloFresh and national food rescue charity KiwiHarvest once again for a ‘team talk’ on Kiwis food waste habits as we get closer to the 2030 deadline for our national targets.

Since partnering with HelloFresh in 2023, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has been actively championing the reduction of household food waste and applauds the significant efforts of Kiwi households saying, “It’s encouraging to see so many Kiwis doing the mahi at home to reduce food waste. By taking simple steps like meal planning, cooking the right portions and storing food properly we can make a huge difference,” says Portia.

Of the 1,500 Kiwis surveyed, 60% spend between $200 - $499 per week on food, up from 45% in 2023 and largely due to the rising costs of food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables.Those who spend less tend to be more mindful about waste, with 24% of households spending under $100 per week reporting a significant reduction in food waste in the past year.

On average, an estimated 9% of a household’s weekly food shop goes to waste, equating to $1,326 worth of food wasted per household per year. New Zealanders aged 18-29 have the highest rate of food waste, with 12.3% of their weekly food shop going to waste, compared to the national average of 9%.

Angela Calver, CEO of KiwiHarvest, emphasises the role of community involvement and the importance of reducing food waste for environmental sustainability.

“Food waste is not just a loss to our pockets, but also an undeniable environmental issue. We’re proud to have just reached the milestone of celebrating 13 million kilograms of food rescued and redistributed to vulnerable communities since we started up in 2012 - but there is so much more work to be done.

“We, alongside other food rescues in our sector, are experiencing significant funding cuts and growing demand for our services, so it’s equally as important for Kiwis to help relieve the pressure on the environment by doing their bit at home.”

Claudia Baptista-Fernandes, Managing Director of HelloFresh New Zealand, commends the collective effort of both Kiwis and organisations like KiwiHarvest, highlighting how meal kits can play a role in reducing food waste, “At HelloFresh we are committed to reducing food waste globally by focusing our efforts on everything from the supply chain right to the home kitchen. Our meal kits are designed to deliver exactly what you need by providing fresh, pre-portioned ingredients sourced directly, ensuring that less food ends up in the bin.

By partnering with organisations like KiwiHarvest, we are tackling New Zealand’s food waste issue head on by setting a gold standard for Kiwi households. Meal kits play an important role in reducing food waste, offering a simple and effective way for everyone to do their part.

Over the past year we’ve demonstrated that Kiwis are not afraid to step up to the mark. We’re challenging New Zealanders to set a goal for the next year to help reduce food waste by a further $300 million, at least,” says Baptista-Fernandes.

HelloFresh meals kits create 25% fewer carbon emissions than the same meals made from supermarket ingredients, and they pack 100% of New Zealand’s meal kits in distribution centres powered by renewable energy1.

To find out more information about HelloFresh and KiwiHarvest, go to hellofresh.co.nz/about/food-waste and kiwiharvest.org.nz.

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