Community activists have set up a free food stall outside Woolworths in Moonah this week, distributing “rescued” items from supermarket bins to highlight Tasmania’s food waste problem amid rising living costs.
The action, organised by Tasmania’s Grassroots Action Network, saw members giving away edible food and usable products they claimed had been discarded by major supermarkets.
Items on offer included shampoo, chocolate, flour, rice, ginger beer, fresh produce and sourdough bread – all recovered from Woolworths and Coles waste bins over the past week.
“As Christmas arrives, it’s important to show up for each other, especially for those struggling to put food on the table,” GRANT member Finn Leary said.
“It’s even better when we can do that by rescuing food and goods that would otherwise be wasted.”
It isn’t the first such demonstration by the group, which held a similar event outside Sandy Bay Woolworths last year.
The group says little has changed, claiming bins across Hobart “overflow daily with perfectly edible food and usable goods” while many Tasmanians struggle with grocery costs during the cost-of-living crisis.
Woolworths Group has previously said it is “making changes across all parts of our value chain to prevent edible food from being wasted and instead redistributed through our food rescue partners”.
“Our goal is reducing hunger and food waste,” a statement from the group read.
St Vincent de Paul Society Tasmania yesterday revealed rising food, energy and housing costs are pushing more Tasmanians into crisis.
Southern Regional President Louise Wilson said families are skipping meals to keep up with rent and bills, while the festive season is now adding to the strain.
“Christmas is a very difficult time for people who are already doing it tough,” she said.
The charity is calling on the community to dig deep for its Christmas appeal, warning support will be needed well into the new year.
