Practice-based strategies to reduce food waste in aged care: promoting sustainability and person-centred care in institutional settings

Food is central to the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of older adults living in residential aged care. Yet in many facilities, food waste remains widespread and under-addressed, often viewed as inevitable in institutional settings. This study offers a reflective, practice-based exploration of food waste in aged care, grounded in the author’s work as a catering assistant and support worker across multiple facilities in South Australia. Drawing on structured fieldnotes and direct observations, the paper identifies three main categories of food waste—plate waste, kitchen overproduction, and expired stock—and explores the operational, cultural, and behavioural factors driving these inefficiencies. Key causes include inaccurate meal ordering, overproduction habits, limited staff feedback mechanisms, and poor interdepartmental communication. The study proposes a set of low-cost, staff-informed strategies to reduce waste while enhancing care quality. These include personalised portioning, consistent ordering protocols, resident feedback loops, and systems for safe food repurposing. It also underscores the importance of supportive leadership, workplace culture, and valuing catering roles as central to person-centred care. By centring frontline staff experiences, this paper reframes food waste as not merely a logistical issue, but a matter of care quality, communication, and organisational sustainability. Findings suggest that food waste reduction can reinforce—not compete with—person-centred approaches by respecting resident preferences and improving mealtime satisfaction. This study contributes to the broader conversation on aged care reform by offering insights from daily practice. It highlights how simple, context-sensitive changes can advance both environmental and social goals in residential care.