Food going to landfills is a global issue, say a local Whanganui action group, Kai Ora. Almost a third of all food produced goes to waste, they say, and Whanganui also has similar problems.
"In Whanganui alone 3 million kg a year, just in Whanganui, which is roughly 1.5kg per person every day," organiser Joe Thompson said.
Landfills struggle to process organic matter efficiently. Anaerobic conditions mean the millions of tonnes of food can't break down into compost. Instead it produces methane gas which, according to Ministry for Primary Industries figures, is 26 times more detrimental as a greenhouse gas, than carbon dioxide.
In an effort to change that, Kai Ora Whanganui has formed a food rescue organisation to develop a kai hub, diverting food going to landfill.
With support from Whanganui District Council and the community, the organisers recently completed a feasibility study looking at better ways to deal with Whanganui's perishable food waste.