City of Joondalup: Empowering residents to save food, money and the planet
The City of Joondalup has long recognised the scale and impact of food waste in homes and businesses. With food waste in landfill a key sustainability challenge, the City sought effective ways to expand community education. The Great Unwaste provided a ready-to-use toolkit of resources and behaviour-change insights, helping the City deliver more impact than would have been possible with internal resources alone.
Why Joondalup Took Action
Food waste has always been a priority area for the Council. Having witnessed how common food wastage is in households and businesses, the Waste & Sustainability Team wanted to provide residents with practical tools and education. The Great Unwaste presented a strong foundation for them to build on.
Delivering Five Unwasting Workshops
Across 2025, the City delivered five Great Unwaste-aligned workshops—four as part of a June workshop series and one in October. Workshops were promoted through social media, newsletters, digital screens and the City website. Attendance ranged between 11 and 20 residents per workshop and were delivered by Waste Sustainability and Education Officers, Grow Cook Eat WA and Foodbank WA, using resources from The Great Unwaste Campaign Kits.
Each session focused on practical food-saving skills tailored to residents’ everyday lives:
- Sustainable Feast – Core unwasting behaviours including meal planning, smart storage and making the most of leftovers.
- Thrifty Bites – Hands-on cooking to create budget-friendly meals and transform leftovers.
- Pickling & Preserving – Simple techniques for preserving seasonal produce at home.
- Soulful Soups – Planning and cooking nourishing, affordable meals while reducing food waste.
- Winter Warmers: Cooking in Bulk – Preparing freezer-friendly meals, bulk buying and safe food storage.
What Participants Learned
Residents were introduced to a range of practical food-saving strategies, including:
- Meal planning and using ingredients efficiently
- Understanding safe food storage and portioning
- Making the most of leftovers
- Building confidence in planning and cooking simple meals
Feedback from the Community
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants said they felt more empowered to plan meals, cook more often and take everyday actions to reduce food waste. Many appreciated the sense of community created in the workshops, and the opportunity to share tips with others. Shared meals at the end of sessions added to the experience.
Giveaways and Extras
- Great Unwaste flyers and small giveaways (via Foodbank WA)
- A City of Joondalup magnetic meal planner featuring Great Unwaste tips
- Shared meals cooked during the workshops
Looking Ahead
The City plans to run more unwasting workshops in 2026, with details currently being finalised.
“The Great Unwaste is a fabulous initiative empowering Australians to reduce food waste. Through our workshops we’ve seen how these tools help local residents take action in their homes. The Great Unwaste packages behaviour-change messages into easy-to-digest, bite-sized information (pun intended). Food waste is a critical issue in Australia; so having such impactful resources at our fingertips makes a real difference.”
Sasha Brampton, Waste Sustainability and Education Officer, City of Joondalup
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