The issue of food waste was brought to the attention of young Kiwis through a publicity stunt organised by AUT students.
AUT University students who host the radio station Static FM – including Bethany Cogger, 21, a former Howick College student – held a publicity stunt on Tuesday to raise awareness about food waste with young New Zealanders.
The stunt was in partnership with Love Food Hate Waste. Wanted posters that dotted the halls of the university requested onlookers to save the human-sized vegetables and fruits running around the city campus from going to ‘waste’.
As the large personified bean, carrot and banana characters asked for help around campus, people were able to take a photo with them for a chance to win an eco prize pack sponsored by Love Food Hate Waste, Good For and The Eco Society. This was in line with Love Food Hate Waste’s #savethecarrot, #savethebean and #savethebanana campaign which ran throughout September.
According to the Love Food Hate Waste national food waste prevention study, those aged 16-24 are more commonly food wasters compared to other age groups.
“We felt the need to take initiative by utilising our platform to raise awareness around the environmental impact of food wastage because we wanted to educate younger generations who will be the most affected by climate change”, says Bethany, a spokesperson from Static FM.
“Kiwis throw away 157,389 tonnes of food each year which releases methane into the air, a harmful greenhouse gas. If food waste was a country, it would be the third-largest producer of carbon emissions behind China and the United States.”
For more information about Love Food Hate Waste and tips to reduce your own food wastage, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz or head to their Facebook and Instagram pages.
