Make the most of every last scrap these footy finals

As the AFL finals approach, don’t let food waste sneak past your defence. Whether you’re hosting a BBQ or cheering from the couch, it’s time to kick goals for our farmers, parks and gardens by planning your food game and sorting scraps like a premiership pro.

First bounce: plan to prevent waste

Start by confirming your team line-up (how many guests you’re expecting to watch the game with you). This helps you buy only what you need and avoid over-catering.

Then get game-ready before heading to the shops. A little planning goes a long way in reducing waste and saving money. Think about how leftovers can be stored or repurposed and stick to your grocery list.

Sort like a selector

Make it easy for guests to do the right thing by setting up a clear bin station with signs showing what goes where.

If you have a lime green food and garden organics (FOGO) bin, it’s your best on-ground player when it comes to tackling inedible food scraps. Using it correctly helps turn food scraps into compost for farms and gardens across Victoria.

This is where your kitchen caddy becomes your MVP! Separate food scraps into the FOGO caddy and items like bottles, cans and boxes into recycling. Send all unrecyclable rubbish straight off the field to the general rubbish bin. You could even set up a separate bin for CDS Vic!

Out of bounds on the full

When food packaging and other rubbish sneak into the FOGO bin, it’s a clanger that contaminates the compost and sends your organics out of play and straight to landfill.

While preparing platters for the game or cleaning up after the siren, make sure you’re only putting food scraps into your FOGO caddy. Keep your FOGO bin in-bounds by keeping out:

• fruit stickers

• plastic packaging (e.g. cucumber wrappers, meat trays)

• cling wrap, resealable bags, containers

• takeaway packaging and single-use crockery and utensils (even compostable items like bamboo or bioplastic).

Your small acts make a big impact

By keeping rubbish out of your FOGO bin, you’re helping turn scraps into nutrient-rich compost used on Victorian farms and gardens. It’s a simple way to support local agriculture, reduce emissions, and score a win for Victoria’s sustainable future.