A national campaign was launched today to get Canadians to stop wasting food.
The National Zero Waste Council, one of the many groups behind the campaign, estimate that Canadians waste over 2 million tonnes of food per year. They say half of that waste comes from Canadian households and that the average home loses $1,000 per year from wasted food.
"30 per cent of all the food that is produced in Canada goes to waste," said Bob Long, who works with the NZWC. "We need to start a new conversation on how we address food and the relationship we have to food."
Long said the campaign will focuse on teaching people how to store their food so it lasts longer and will teach how to best plan meals so shoppers don't buy more than need. He estimates food waste costs Canadians $100 billion per year when you factor in all the resources needed to produce what we eat.
The push to get Canadians to limit their waste comes as the federal government is gearing up for it's own action plan to curb food waste, which will later be included in a new food policy. Partners in the campaign include Recyc-Quebec, the province of British Columbia and cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
"The city of Vancouver is aiming to be a zero-waste city by 2040," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson in a statement. "We hope to inspire and empower Vancouver households to make their food go further by reconsidering how it's purchased, kept fresh and used efficiently.
Food retailers like Walmart and Sobeys will also be taking part.