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Media release
TAFE NSW | 2 April 2026
Free TAFE NSW course helps businesses tackle food waste
‘The new Food Waste Sustainability Microskill gives chefs and hospitality workers practical skills and simple strategies they can put to use straight away to cut waste and save money’
Steve Whan, Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education
TAFE NSW today launched a new online short course – free for the next six weeks. The goal is to help the hospitality sector reduce kitchen waste, save money and prepare for food waste reforms coming into effect from July.
It comes at a time when the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) reports 1.7 million tonnes of food thrown out each year in NSW – enough to fill the SCG more than 10 times. Hospitality, retail and large-scale food services, including schools, hospitals and aged care facilities, are responsible for more than one-third of the state’s food waste. Across Australia, the price tag for wasted food is estimated at over $36.6 billion each year.
Co-designed with the NSW EPA and industry leaders, the online Food Waste Sustainability Microskill, delivered by TAFE NSW, provides practical strategies for chefs, hospitality workers, and businesses to reduce kitchen waste through efficient menu planning, stock management, and low-waste cooking.
It will also help businesses prepare for new mandatory food-waste separation requirements. From 1 July, large food-generating businesses such as restaurants, cafés, hotels and canteens will be required to separate food waste from general rubbish to reduce landfill.
TAFE NSW cuisine and hospitality students will also benefit from free access to the microskill, preparing the next generation of chefs and hospitality workers to take a more sustainable approach to meal planning and preparation.
TAFE NSW students today also took part via livestream from kitchens and classrooms across the state in a Sustainability and Indigenous Cuisine Masterclass delivered by Jack Brown, Head Chef at two-hatted restaurant Berowra Waters Inn and Nina Huynh, award-winning chef and consultant for the Royal Motor Yacht Club.
The TAFE NSW Food Waste Sustainability Microskill was developed with a $200,000 Business Food Waste Partnerships Grant from NSW EPA, aimed at helping the hospitality sector reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes.
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said, “The new Food Waste Sustainability Microskill gives chefs and hospitality workers practical skills and simple strategies they can put to use straight away to cut waste and save money.
“This course is a great example of TAFE NSW and industry working together to tackle a real-world problem and build the skills our workforce needs. By partnering with experts across the hospitality sector, we’re delivering practical training that strengthens workers, supports businesses and creates more sustainable kitchens right across the state.”
Media contact:* Melanie Pope, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.
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