Waste Deep

Summary

The video script addresses the alarming issue of food waste and plastic pollution in Australia. It highlights the staggering amount of plastic used in food packaging and its environmental impact, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The script also emphasizes the importance of reducing waste, supporting local food systems, and the role of community organizations like SecondBite and Spade and Barrow in redistributing edible food to those in need. It encourages viewers to be more mindful consumers, to shop locally, and to adopt sustainable practices such as growing their own food and participating in initiatives like Buy Nothing New Month.

Takeaways

• 🛒 The average Australian's shopping trolley contains a significant amount of plastic packaging, leading to billions of pieces of plastic waste annually.
• 🌐 The plastic pollution problem is global, with debris from distant countries accumulating in ocean gyres like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
• 🐦 Plastic pollution affects wildlife, as seen with the Albatross on Midway Atoll, where birds mistake plastic for food, leading to tragic consequences.
• 🌱 In nature, there is no waste as everything is recycled back into the system, emphasizing the need for a circular approach to waste management in human activities.
• 🏭 The Port Phillip Eco Center highlights the increasing volume of waste, despite improvements in recycling rates, indicating a need for better waste reduction strategies.
• 🍲 SecondBite redistributes fresh, edible food that would otherwise go to waste, providing meals to those in need and reducing landfill emissions.
• 🥗 Spade and Barrow is a social business aiming to address food waste by buying produce directly from farmers and selling it to commercial kitchens, bypassing the need for perfect appearance.
• 🌾 Australian households waste approximately a thousand dollars worth of food each year, which is a significant financial and environmental loss.
• 🍽️ Reducing food waste can start with mindful shopping, planning meals, and using leftovers creatively to minimize waste and save money.
• 🌱 Growing your own food can reduce packaging waste and help consumers reconnect with the source of their food, promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.
• 🛍️ 'Buy Nothing New Month' encourages consumers to reconsider their purchasing habits, opting for second-hand items or experiences over new products to reduce waste.

Q & A

What is the estimated amount of plastic waste generated by an average Australian's shopping trolley per year?

The script estimates that an average Australian's shopping trolley contains 26 pieces of plastic, which extrapolates to approximately a thousand pieces of plastic per year per person. With a population of 23 million, this results in tens of billions of pieces of plastic waste annually.

What is the significance of the albatross and plastic pollution story mentioned in the script?

The script uses the story of a juvenile albatross found dead on Midway Atoll, with its stomach full of plastic, to illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollution on wildlife. This serves as a stark reminder of how human activities are harming the environment and marine life.

What is a gyre, as mentioned in the context of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

A gyre is a large system of ocean currents that rotate in a circular motion. The script mentions gyres in relation to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where plastic and other debris from various countries accumulate due to these circulating ocean currents.

How much waste did the local council collect in Port Phillip in 2009-2010, and what was the breakdown between recyclables and landfill?

In 2009-2010, the local council in Port Phillip collected approximately 34,000 tons of waste. Out of this, around 20,000 tons were sent to landfill, while about 14,000 tons were recyclable materials.

What is the average annual waste production per household in Port Phillip, as stated in the script?

The script states that the average Port Phillip household produces about 50 kilograms more waste per year than they did 10 years prior.

How much food waste does Australia generate annually, and what is its monetary value?

The script mentions that Australia wastes over eight billion dollars worth of food every year, which equates to over a thousand dollars for every household.

What is the role of SecondBite in addressing food waste in Australia?

SecondBite rescues fresh, edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to over 1,000 community food programs across Australia, where it is converted into healthy meals and meal hampers for people in need.

What is the issue with the current food system that Spade and Barrow aims to address?

Spade and Barrow was started to address the issue of farmers struggling to sell their produce due to the market's demand for perfect-looking fruit. This social business buys produce at a fair price, regardless of appearance, and supplies it to commercial kitchens, reducing waste and supporting farmers.

Why does the script suggest that Australians waste a significant amount of food?

The script suggests that Australians waste a lot of food because they have been sold a culture of convenience and have lost touch with the provenance of their food and the resources that go into producing it. They are buying with their eyes, not their taste buds, and are not valuing food as much as they should.

What is the 'Buy Nothing New Month' initiative mentioned in the script, and what is its purpose?

The 'Buy Nothing New Month' is an initiative that encourages people to not purchase any new items for a month. Its purpose is to make individuals think about their consumption habits, consider the origins of their goods, and explore alternatives to reduce waste and promote sustainability.

How can shopping at a farmer's market help reduce plastic waste and support local communities, as per the script?

Shopping at a farmer's market allows consumers to buy fresh produce directly from farmers, often with less or no packaging, thus reducing plastic waste. It also supports local farmers and producers, strengthens community ties, and promotes a more sustainable food system.

Outlines

00:00

🛒 Plastic Waste in Grocery Shopping

The paragraph discusses the issue of plastic waste from food packaging, highlighting the average Australian's shopping habits. It points out the presence of organic produce and other food items wrapped in plastic, leading to a significant amount of plastic waste annually. The speaker emphasizes the need for better waste management and sustainability, referencing the plastic pollution affecting wildlife, such as albatrosses, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The narrative calls for a change in consumer behavior and a reduction in plastic use to protect the environment.

05:03

🍲 Reducing Food Waste and Supporting Local Farms

This section addresses the substantial financial loss due to food waste in Australia, with a focus on the social enterprise SecondBite, which redistributes edible food to community programs. The founder of Spade and Barrow shares the story behind the business, which aims to support struggling farmers by purchasing their produce at fair prices and selling it to commercial kitchens. The paragraph also touches on consumer behavior, suggesting that the demand for aesthetically perfect produce leads to waste and that reconnecting with food growers can reduce waste. It concludes with a call for a new respect for local produce and a reduction in food waste.

10:05

🌱 Growing Your Own Food and Community Solutions

The paragraph emphasizes the role of individual actions in reducing food waste, suggesting that shopping with intent and planning meals can significantly decrease waste. It also promotes growing your own food as a way to reduce packaging waste and develop a personal connection with the food one consumes. The speaker shares personal tips for using every part of food items and making stock from leftovers. The concept of 'Take 3' is introduced as a simple way to reduce pollution by picking up rubbish, and the paragraph concludes with a critique of the overreliance on recycling as a waste management solution.

15:07

🛍️ Buy Nothing New Month and Sustainable Shopping

This section introduces 'Buy Nothing New Month,' an initiative that encourages people to avoid purchasing new items for a month to reflect on consumption habits and the environmental impact. The speaker suggests alternatives to conventional shopping, such as buying second-hand, borrowing, or swapping items. The paragraph also advocates for shopping at local farmers' markets, where fresh produce is available with minimal packaging, supporting local growers and reducing waste. The benefits of shopping at farmers' markets are discussed, including the quality of produce, direct interaction with farmers, and the community aspect.

20:09

🎉 The Impact of Farmers' Markets on Reducing Plastic Waste

The final paragraph features an interview with a farmers' market manager who discusses the benefits of shopping at such markets, including the freshness of produce, the opportunity to interact with producers, and the reduced use of plastic packaging. The speaker shares personal experiences of shopping at farmers' markets, emphasizing the superior quality and taste of the produce. The paragraph concludes with a demonstration of how even a small reduction in plastic use, such as choosing to buy from farmers' markets, can have a significant positive impact on waste reduction when scaled up across the population.

Keywords

💡Food wastage

Food wastage refers to the discarding or spoilage of consumable food, which is a significant issue highlighted in the video. It is shown to be a result of over-purchasing, improper storage, and a culture of convenience. The video emphasizes the environmental impact, with food waste contributing to landfill and CO2 emissions, while also pointing out the paradox of food waste amidst food insecurity.

💡Food packaging

Food packaging is the process of enclosing or protecting food in a container or wrapper. The video discusses the excessive use of plastic packaging, which contributes to environmental pollution and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It suggests that reducing packaging or using sustainable alternatives is crucial for sustainability.

💡Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects in the environment, which poses a threat to wildlife and ecosystems. The video uses the example of a juvenile lace in Albatross to illustrate the devastating effects of plastic ingestion by wildlife, emphasizing the need for better waste management and reduction of plastic use.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of the video refers to the ability to maintain environmental, economic, and social systems over time without depleting resources or causing harm. It is linked to reducing waste, recycling, and adopting practices that minimize environmental impact, such as growing one's own food or supporting local farmers.

💡Recyclables

Recyclables are materials that can be processed and reused, such as paper, glass, plastic, and metal. The video points out that while recycling is important, it should not be seen as the ultimate solution to waste problems. It encourages reducing the volume of recyclables by minimizing single-use items and promoting a circular economy.

💡Landfill

A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial. The video discusses the negative environmental impact of sending food waste and plastic to landfills, where they can decompose and release greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

💡Food relief programs

Food relief programs are initiatives that provide food to those in need. The video contrasts the issue of food wastage with the existence of such programs, indicating a disconnect in the food system where food is wasted while many people lack access to sufficient food.

💡Imperfect produce

Imperfect produce refers to fruits and vegetables that do not meet the cosmetic standards of supermarkets but are still edible. The video discusses how these products are often discarded, contributing to food waste, and how initiatives like Spade and Barrow aim to redistribute this produce to reduce waste.

💡Food miles

Food miles are the distance food is transported from its production site to the consumer. The video argues that growing one's own food or purchasing from local farmers reduces food miles, which can decrease environmental impact and support local economies.

💡Buy Nothing New Month

Buy Nothing New Month is a challenge or movement that encourages people to avoid purchasing new items for a month to reduce consumption and waste. The video suggests this as a way to reflect on the necessity of purchases and consider the environmental and social impacts of consumerism.

💡Farmers markets

Farmers markets are places where local farmers sell their produce directly to consumers. The video promotes shopping at farmers markets as a way to support local agriculture, reduce packaging waste, and obtain fresher, often higher quality food.

Highlights

The average Australian's shopping trolley contains a lot of plastic packaging, leading to thousands of pieces of plastic waste per person per year.

Plastic pollution is a significant issue, with images of a juvenile Albatross showing the devastating effects of ingested plastic.

Plastic waste does not disappear; it travels vast distances and accumulates in ocean gyres, like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

In 2009-2010, Port Phillip Council collected 34,000 tons of waste, with 20,000 tons sent to landfill and only 14,000 tons recyclable.

Despite improvements in recycling, the overall volume of waste is increasing exponentially.

Australia wastes over eight billion dollars worth of food annually, with most going to landfill and contributing to CO2 emissions.

Second Bite rescues fresh, edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to community food programs.

Spade and Barrow is a social business that works directly with farmers to buy produce at a fair price, regardless of appearance.

Consumers are educated to look for perfect-looking fruit, leading to the rejection of 'imperfect' but still good produce.

Australian households waste around a thousand dollars worth of food each year due to a culture of convenience.

There's a need to reconnect with the provenance of our food and the resources that go into producing it to reduce waste.

Growing your own food helps reduce packaging and the environmental impact of food transportation.

Shopping at farmers markets allows for direct purchase from producers, reducing plastic waste and supporting local communities.

Buy Nothing New Month encourages people to consider the source and impact of their purchases and seek alternatives to consumerism.

Recycling is important, but reducing waste and single-use items is a better solution to our waste problems.

Shopping at local farmers markets or bulk food stores with reusable containers supports local industry and reduces packaging.

The quality of produce at farmers markets is often superior due to direct purchase from the grower.

Eating whole foods is instinctively healthier and more satisfying than consuming processed foods.

Transcripts

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

we're going to talk food wastage and

food packaging then a really good place

to start is inside the average

Australian's shopping trolley Ben

earlier let me look inside his trolley

and I've got to say it looked pretty

healthy there was a holy of organic

fruit and vegetables some organic Meats

bread cheese a bit of milk and a bit of

chocolate it's pretty much what I ate

each week but the problem is the whole

lot was wrapped in plastic we counted 26

pieces of plastic in there now if you

extrapolate that out over a year we're

talking a thousand pieces of plastic in

Australia the population's 23 million

people you're talking tens of billions

of pieces of plastic every year that's

just thrown out now I honestly think we

can do better than that

foreign

[Music]

tells the story of plastic pollution

better than any other it's a juvenile

lace in Albatross that was born on

Midway atoll in the Northwest Hawaiian

islands and people often look at this

image and think it's been photoshopped

but it's real and what's most

heartbreaking is that all the plastic we

see here was actually fed to this bird

by its adults who forage over the open

ocean looking for food and they're

mistaking all these items for food so

seeing this in 2009 I just said to

myself this is what we're doing as

custodians of our planet and I've got to

do something

you often think about you know when

plastic gets into our oceans and

waterways that that's the end of the

story but it continues Anything That

Floats will not just go away it'll go

out to our open oceans where it can

circulate on things known as gyas and

this is an example of what these gyres

look like this is the big island of

Hawaii a beach called Camilo Beach and

all the debris that you can see here

actually came from countries like North

America or in countries in Asia and it

traveled there thousands of kilometers

to get to this beach so that's what the

Great Pacific Garbage Patch looks like

and it really is a uh a blight that

humans should be pretty ashamed of

in nature there's no such thing as waste

everything gets returned back to the

system

if we want to get serious about

sustainability it starts with waste

[Music]

Port Phillip Eco Center is a community

managed environment Center and

not-for-profit organization and we're

located here in the beautiful St Kilda

botanical gardens just to give you a

picture of what the waste stream looks

like in the city of Port Phillip in 2009

2010 at the local Council collected

through curbside collections about 34

000 tons of waste in total and around 20

000 was sent to landfill and 14 000

approximately tons were recyclable

material the trends show that um

amount of recyclables that people are

processing through curbside collection

isn't it is nudging up slowly so it's

nudged up about five percent somewhere

between 2005 2010 but uh the other Trend

that Council has reported is that the

overall volume of waste that's been

collected is uh increasing exponentially

as well so even though we're doing a lot

better at recycling on the whole we're

still producing an awful lot of waste

and in fact I came across a statistic

that the average Port Phillip household

produces about 50 kilograms

a year more waste than 10 years ago

[Music]

we're wasting over eight billion dollars

worth of food every single year in

Australia so that's over a thousand

dollars for every single household most

of that food goes to landfill where it

rots and creates CO2 emissions and at

the same time there's nearly 2 million

Australians who don't have enough food

to feed themselves and their families

and they have to resort to emergency

food relief programs at second bite we

don't think this makes any sense

so what we do is we rescue some of that

fresh perfectly edible food that would

otherwise go to waste and we

redistribute it to over 1 000 Community

food programs across the whole of

Australia

there it's converted into healthy

nutritious meals and meal hampers for

people in need

well spadenboro was started because I

spent some time at second bite as the

founding CEO for seven years and one of

the sectors that we approached with the

farming community and asked them if they

had any produce that they were able to

donate and the common answer was that

these farmers were doing it incredibly

tough and actually were almost at the

point of needing food relief themselves

as opposed to being food providers and I

realized that something was very very

wrong with the food system and so we

decided to start up a social business

which is a Wholesale Food business with

an entirely new way of doing business we

work directly with farmers and we buy

their produce at a fair farm gate price

in all shapes and sizes and we bring

that into commercial kitchens such as

cafes restaurants some hospitals and

schools and Child Care Centers and a

whole variety of people that purchase

this produce

supermarkets and the wholesale Market

demands fruit that looks perfect because

that's what consumers believe well

that's what consumers have been educated

to to look for and so the the fruit

that's not quite perfect it may have a

mark on the skin it may have some other

imperfection it's still perfectly good

fruit it's the same fruit on the inside

and so what what is happening with spade

and Barrow it gives us the opportunity

to to move that imperfect fruit

here in Harcourt we've had a number of

Growers leave the industry in the last

few years and it's happening more and

more because they're they're finding

that it's becoming uneconomic the the

first grade fruit moves fine but the

Lesser grade fruit is very hard to move

it's incredible to think that Australian

households are wasting around a thousand

dollars worth of food every year and

when I think about it the key behind

that is that we've been sold a culture

of convenience we're marketed this ideal

that we can just get anything we want

any time we want and that is the source

of the problem

I think it's really important to ask

ourselves why we're wasting so much food

I think it's because we're literally we

take it for granted I think we've lost

touch with the provenance of our food

and lost touch with the amount of

resources that actually go into

producing it so we've got this

impression that there's this abundance

of beautiful looking food on the uh on

the shelves in the shops and it's

difficult to think about how much water

and land the energy the resources that

go into producing that food and so we

don't we don't value it as much as we

should

I think in Australia we waste so much

food about eight billion dollars worth

every year because a we are buying and

purchasing our produce with our eyes not

our taste buds which is what we should

be purchasing our produce through what

does it taste like and secondly I think

we've really lost touch with the people

that grow our food and that's why Spain

and Barrow is all about shortening that

supply chain so that we can actually put

the consumer back in touch with the

farmer who actually grew their food in

the first place we need a newfound

respect for the food that is grown in

this country there is no need for

imports at all this is such a bountiful

country with such an amazing array of

produce that we can stay within our

borders and we can be absolutely

satisfied with the produce produce

that's grown here

now our grandparents lived in an era

when they simply couldn't afford to

waste food they used the bones to make

stocks they use the dripping to spread

on toast and that's what I saw my

grandfather doing when I was a little

kid today of course we feel like we

don't have the time we simply just don't

know how to use up our leftovers but

using up every last bit of food is

actually really simple when you know how

it also saves heaps of money and heaps

of time which is why I do it it creates

incredible flow in your week so I'll get

home from my shopping and I'll cook up

all my vegetables in one hit I steam

them to about 70 percent I let them cool

and I put them in a Ziploc bag and store

them in the freezer so I'll put some

broccolis and partly frozen broccoli

into my green smoothie in the mornings

or I'll throw into a casserole or I put

it in my lunchbox and add it to a salad

once I get into work for lunch that day

my beetroot leaves I will steam them up

and eat them like silver beet or I make

a soup out of them and then any off cuts

I actually put into one bag and I place

it all together with some herbs any kind

of leftover bits of onion skin I put it

in the freezer and when I'm ready to

make a stock using some leftover bones I

put it all in together and it actually

extends my kind of nutrient level even

further

foreign

[Music]

can start to reduce food waste is

through their shopping if you buy with

intent then you avoid all the marketing

hype and the impulse and you start to

plan your food so that if you plan your

meals then you actually use what you

have when it's fresh and when it's in

season once you've separated your food

waste you're halfway there you've

actually become a waste Warrior and

you'll notice that your waste bin will

reduce and it won't smell because that

beautiful resource that food resource

can now start its journey into becoming

a rich compost to put back onto the

garden and grow your next lot of

vegetables growing your own food helps

reduce packaging because at the end of

the day nature provides produce with its

own packaging and most of the packaging

that surrounds our food these days is

because of transport when we grow our

own food we're growing it right near

where we live close to our kitchen so

there's no food miles there's no need to

wrap it and protect it and what's more

when we grow it

we know it and when we know it we're not

going to be concerned if there's a

blemish or a bump or a bruise because

we've watched this become what will be

at the end of the day us because we are

what we eat

so you don't have a garden I live in an

apartment I've got a tiny little

concrete Courtyard

there's opportunity all around us if you

live high up in the clouds have a look

out for a community garden what about

the street verges there's lots of

opportunity how about your neighbors it

could be an old couple up the street

within a with a garden tap on the door

say g'day ask them if you can grow a bit

there and share the produce with them

family members other friends who's got a

garden near you if not think about

containers you can grow anything in a

container look at the resources around

you and push your thinking you can grow

so get growing

foreign up on the coastline of Australia

it's um seemingly so clean and clear but

you start traveling around the world and

you realize that pollution is actually a

big problem globally so as ocean lovers

and Surfers and divers we decided that

we wanted to do something about it so

instead of just walking past rubbish on

the beach we'd always pick it up that's

the idea behind tag three you simply

take three pieces of rubbish with you

when you leave the beach Waterway or

anywhere and you've made a difference

because by picking up that rubbish and

putting it in a bin you're removing that

Hazard that risk from the environment

and that's the least we can do to save

our innocent Wildlife Australians are

fairly good recyclers and we've

definitely seen that recycling practices

and has recycling practices have

improved in the last 10 years but it

becomes a problem when uh people

actually embrace recycling as the

ultimate solution to our waste problems

and see it as the end game it's

definitely a really good thing to have a

recycling bin full of well-sorted items

as opposed to an equivalent bin full of

rubbish that's going to landfill but a

far better alternative would be to not

have a bin full of recyclables in the

first place and to actually reduce the

amount of the overall volume of

recyclable items and single use

consumable items that we're sending to

recycling in the first place

I started by nothing new month because I

was just

very curious and confused as to why

we're being so wasteful with our

precious finite resources and I thought

buy nothing new month was a really

fantastic way to encourage more people

to think about our stuff when it come

from who made it what were their working

conditions where does it go when we're

done and what are the Alternatives that

can be better for us our people and our

planet I think people love by nothing

new month because it gives them

a chance just to stop and go I actually

don't need to have more stuff so many

messages out there in advertising tells

us we have to buy this or buy that it'll

make us happier it'll make us prettier

but buy nothing new month just says

you're fine as you are spend money on

experiences with your family that sort

of stuff not on getting more stuff

getting involved is super simple if you

just decide that you're going to buy

nothing new for a month so instead of

going and shopping and buying something

new can you go to the op shop can you

get it second hand can you borrow it

from a friend can you swap it so buy

nothing new month really invites and

encourages people to think about that

and do something about it and look at

the Alternatives in the UK for example

in 2018 I think they're saying they'll

run out of landfill that means in four

years time UK will have nowhere for its

rubbish we've really got to change the

way that we're consuming on this planet

for our sake and for our planet's sake

the decision has to take place before

you've even left to go shopping you've

got to look at what other options are

out there instead of just going to your

big supermarkets so look out for local

farmers markets or bulk food stores

where you can actually buy your produce

in bulk this way we can support local

industry we can phase out packaging

altogether and you can take your own

reusable containers and bags by doing

this we're making decisions that are

better for the planet and better for you

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

what's up

hi I'm Shirley I'm the farmer's market

manager at gasworks

and this is Gypsy she's the assistant

manager and some of the great things

about shopping at a farmer's market well

you can bring your dog for a start and

as well as that you can buy all the

fresh produce from Farmers and producers

around Victoria who come to the markets

to sell their Wares you know it's fresh

so it's going to last longer it usually

lasts weeks longer and it's delicious

you can talk to the person who's grown

it you can bring your own bags your own

containers fill them up go home you

haven't wasted any other resources in

your shopping experience you've met some

Farmers you've talked to some people in

your community you've sat down and

enjoyed a fresh cooked breakfast perhaps

with with equal minded people and lots

of people come to the market and Shop

that way and it's really the best way to

shop because as well as supporting your

local community you're supporting your

rural friends who are The Growers and

producers who are really are our food

bowl and it's the way of the future

for 10 years or more farmers markets has

been where I'd buy my food the main

reason for me is because I'm greedy and

I love delicious things is that the

quality of the produce is so much better

than you can find almost anywhere else

because you're buying direct from the

farmer

and there's something about I think

there's something about eating food that

tastes better that makes you feel better

that has a kind of

I don't know like a halo effect on you

on your health and well-being

there's also something about

eating Whole Foods

that instinctively I think we know

rather than eating something that's been

processed within an inch of its life and

and by definition then has to have so

many other things added to it or taken

away from it

[Music]

thank you

so I've just got back from the markets

with my weekly shop now some of my stuff

has come wrapped in plastic around about

three let's say four items of food now

it's not ideal when you extrapolate it

out it's around about 200 pieces of

plastic a year I'm thrown into landfill

as I say it's not ideal but it's

certainly not a thousand pieces of

plastic now my point being is that we

can all make a difference you know

Australia's Got a population of 23

million people so we could actually be

saving billions of pieces of plastic

been thrown into landfill each year

thank you

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

thank you

[Music]