In 2025, food businesses participating in the Australian Food Pact generated $12 million in additional revenue by transforming unsold food into higher value uses, including new food products and commercial redistribution.
Each year, 7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted in Australia, 70 per cent of which is edible. For food businesses, food waste costs an average of 5.6 per cent of total sales. End Food Waste Australia works with businesses to reduce waste through the Australian Food Pact and research delivered by the End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre.
According to the Australian Food Pact Impact Report 2021 to 2024, participating businesses saved $57 million over three years by reducing food waste by 16,000 tonnes and cutting $2 million in landfill levies. Since 2022, businesses in the Pact have also avoided an estimated 505,000 tonnes of CO2-e emissions, equivalent to removing 210,000 cars from the road for a year.
“Reducing food waste isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good business,” said Tristan Butt, chief executive officer, End Food Waste Australia.
“Saving food cuts costs, and the businesses leading in this space understand the opportunities offered by repurposing food or creating new products.”
The End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre is working with food businesses to turn food that would otherwise be discarded into new products.
A project between the CRC and SSS Strawberries developed expanded freeze dried and frozen berry ranges, reducing food waste by 80 per cent, with a target of zero waste by the end of the project.
Chief executive officer of SSS Strawberries and Gina’s Table, Gina Dang, said the company has transformed more than 250,000 kg of waste into value added products.
“This research has helped us create great new products for market and consumer consumption. Now instead of going to waste that produce is nourishing more Australians,” said Dang.
More than 38 businesses are signed up to the Australian Food Pact, including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Metcash, Simplot, Mars, Goodman Fielder, McCain and Sodexo.
While the reported savings highlight the outcomes of the Pact model, End Food Waste Australia says broader industry participation is needed to meet Australia’s target of halving food waste by 2030.
“Reducing food waste is critical to future-proofing Australia’s food system,” said Butt. “We want 2026 to be the year businesses take action.”
“Cutting food waste benefits business of all sizes, and the $12 million in recovered revenue shows it can directly boost productivity. Together, we can drive real change.”