Food waste is a hot topic these days, and rightly so – it’s estimated that Australians throw away over $8 billion worth of food every single year, with many other wealthy nations reporting similarly shocking figures. The folks at Sustainable Table have long been on a mission to make our food consumption habits better for the environment, for farmers and for our own health,  and their annual Give a Fork! campaign aims to foster a sense of community while taking a waste-free approach to our dinner plates. You can sign up to share your own waste-free meal with friends this October, with all money raised going towards supporting Sustainable Table’s education and awareness program – or alternatively, visit one of the participating waste-free restaurants in Victoria or New South Wales to have some sustainable goodness served up with zero effort on your part.

But why is food and packaging waste such a huge issue? As the Give a Fork! website explains: “At the very surface, it may look like all is fine. We don’t really see mountains of waste on the street and our shop shelves are lined with an endless supply of food items all year round, so what’s the problem with wasting some? But look a little deeper and you’ll see that waste is at the heart of many of the environmental and social problems we face today: greenhouse gas pollution, food insecurity, high farmer suicide rates and wildlife deaths both on land and at sea. It may sound harsh, but it’s true.” It also highlights the fact that although Australians throw out one in every five bags of groceries, there are two million of us who don’t have enough to eat – in other words, that our food system is broken. Become part of the #GiveaFork campaign here (along with its wonderful ambassadors Tim Silverwood, Sarah Wilson and Costa Georgiadis), and let’s all work together for a better, waste-free future. It’s never been more important!