Malaysia is drowning in uneaten food – 6 steps you can take to help stop food waste

Malaysians love eating out, and we don't think twice about wasting food when we do. Order less, you can always order more later if you're still hungry! — Filepic/The Star

I must admit that I hesitated before putting pen to paper this month, because so much has been written and said about food waste – in this newspaper, in other media, by advocacy groups and others – that I wondered whether there is anything I can usefully say.

But food waste is a really serious element of the planetary health crisis and one of the issues that we have the most power to change by our individual behaviours. So let me start with some often-quoted facts and figures: