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A simple idea with big community impact

Home to around 33,000 residents, the City of Bunbury has delivered a series of low waste cooking workshops that put toastie leftovers front and centre using simple, familiar food to spark meaningful conversations about food waste.

Supported by funding from the WasteSorted Grant Fund, the workshops aimed to reach people who wouldn’t usually seek out waste education. Inspiration struck after the City spotted a The Great Unwaste social media post about using leftovers in toasties – a flexible, affordable and inclusive option that quickly became a crowd favourite.

Meeting people where they are

Bunbury ran four workshops, hosted at community and family centres and the City’s youth centre. Sessions were timed around existing activities, making it easy for people to join in – especially when lunch was involved.

The workshops catered for a wide range of dietary needs, offering gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan toastie options. Waste educators coordinated the sessions, which were facilitated by local food champion Terri Sharp, a well-known and trusted figure in the Bunbury community, creating relaxed, welcoming spaces to cook, eat and learn together.

Turning toastie leftovers into behaviour change

As participants made and shared toastie leftovers, key messages from The Great Unwaste were woven into the experience – from food safety and storage, to meal planning and creative ways to use what’s already in the fridge. In a particularly sweet moment, one of the children decided to decorate the inside and outside of their toastie with a cat face so they could identify which one was theirs.

Post-workshop surveys showed strong intentions to change behaviour:

• • 76% planned to use the oldest food first
  • 72% felt inspired to be more creative with leftovers
  • 64% planned meals better and bought only what they needed

Using the Partner Hub to deliver engaging workshops

The City used The Great Unwaste Partner Hub to support delivery, printing workshop fliers and providing Use-It-Up Tape to participants. These simple tools helped reinforce key messages and made it easier for participants to put learnings into practice at home.

Participants also responded positively to clear food and waste sorting systems, with resources like bin stickers and magnets supporting shared understanding across households.

What’s next

Participants received Love Your Leftovers lunchboxes to take food home, reinforcing the behaviour change beyond the workshop. Any surplus food was turned into meals for people and families in need.

Following the success of the program, the City of Bunbury has secured funding for four more The Great Unwaste workshops in 2026.