Yesterday, Housing and Local Government Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican revealed some staggering numbers about the food wastage situation in the country. 

Below are some of the facts, summarised in numbers for easier understanding: 

• Malaysians produce 38,000 tonnes of solid waste every day. Of that, about 17,000 tonnes is food waste.
• About 24 percent of the 17,000 tonnes (an estimated 4,046) is avoidable food waste.
• This amount is enough to feed three million people with three meals a day.
• The trend of food wastage increases by 15 to 20 percent during festive seasons.
• If every person avoided wasting one kg of food waste, about RM100 could be saved in a month for one family.
•  The cost to dispose of food wasted by each Malaysian household comes to about RM210 a month, or RM2,600 a year. 
• This cost is expected to increase to up to RM400 per household, by the year 2025. 

Given the numbers, Reezal Merican urged Malaysians to not over-prepare food, and to pack surplus food consumed at restaurants to take home, in order to avoid wastage. 


Source: Bernama
Photo source: waste4change.com