TikTok challenges Aussies to Leave No Crumbs and reduce food waste

From the tomato forgotten at the back of the fridge crisper, to the stale bread on the kitchen bench, wasting food has become routine for Aussie households as new research from TikTok reveals that 40% of us are sending excess food or unused ingredients to the bin at least every week. This can amount to households wasting up to 113kgs of food a year*.And while Australian households have good intentions to reuse ingredients, this doesn't always translate to action, with the research finding:Most Australians say they try to make use of leftover ingredients by planning another meal (46%) or using them if they remember (39%), 1 in 5 admit they still throw ingredients away, 28% forget what’s in the fridge, 26% forget how long ingredients have been there, and 17% leave leftovers in the fridge until they go bad.Despite rising grocery costs putting pressure on Australian families, households with kids are the most likely to waste food, with over half (51%) sending food to the bin every week, versus households without kids (36%).Leftovers have an image problem with young people and parents. One in five (20%) 18-24's feel embarrassed to eat leftovers in public, with this feeling higher among parents (26%) who feel embarrassed or avoid doing so altogether.In response, TikTok’s Leave No Crumbs is calling on Australians to treat unused ingredients or leftovers as the source of inspiration for their next recipe. With more than 9.7 million #FoodTok posts globally, TikTok is already a force in shaping modern food culture.From igniting a renaissance for forgotten ingredients like #cottage cheese (500m+ views) and #sardines (290m+ views), to turning recipes like the #HaileyBieberMeatballs or #fetapasta (1.1billion+ views) into viral sensations, TikTok has become the go-to destination for food lovers to discover something new, hacks to save money, or inspiration for a new recipe.Channelling that same energy, TikTok now turns up the heat on forgotten ingredients, showing Aussies just how much potential is already sitting in the fridge or the fruit bowl, you just need to know what to do with it.Reducing food waste is a global challenge, but change often starts at home, according to Monique Llewellyn, National Campaign Manager for Australia's leading food rescue organisation, OzHarvest. "Tackling food waste at home is the single most impactful action each of us can do to combat climate change."When life gets busy, it's easy to waste food rather than work out what to do with it. At OzHarvest we’re inspiring people to ‘use it up’ which is why it's great to see creators sharing easy ideas to use up what's already in the fridge. Small habits really do make a big difference."At Tuesday Night Dinner, we Leave No CrumbsBusinesswoman, mother of three (plus one turtle, five dogs) and TikTok icon, Krissy Marsh, is no stranger to entertaining, being resourceful, and maximising value. Her Tuesday Night Dinners, which started as a weekly tradition to get the family together around a home-cooked meal, have quickly become one of TikTok's most popular events, with some videos amassing over 1 million views.But it’s not just glamour and caviar; at the heart of Krissy’s approach is a deep passion for a more sustainable way to cook and, importantly, a commitment to ensuring nothing goes to waste, including never letting a guest leave Tuesday Dinner without a container of leftovers.To ensure that food ends up on the table and not in the bin, Krissy has curated her Tuesday Night dinner menu using some of Australia’s most wasted ingredients. This includes overripe tomatoes, (tomatoes are the worst culprit making up 34% of total wasted vegetables annually**) prawn heads and wilted greens used to create stock used in the vodka pasta sauce (over a fifth of the vegetables that end up in the bin are leafy greens**), and giving stale bread a second life for homemade breadcrumbs to create her famous chicken schnitzel (bread makes up 86% of the bakery items thrown away by households**)."Food has always been at the heart of my home and there's nothing I love more than a full table surrounded by everyone I love, enjoying great food. But for me, a great dinner is one where nothing goes to waste, and this menu proves that using what you’ve got doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s actually really easy," said Krissy."I’ve been having so much fun since joining TikTok. Not only do I get to share the things I'm passionate about, but I've also learnt so much from the TikTok community. The thing I love about the TikTok community is that you get real time feedback, tips and tricks."Turning inspiration into actionEveryday around the world, the community takes to TikTok to create, share, and engage with one another in a way that transcends generations and cultures. To make sure that Leave No Crumbs reaches kitchens across Australia (and we hope the world), TikTok has called on the inspiring creators in the community, each taking to TikTok to offer practical recipes, helpful hacks and educational tips that anyone can incorporate into their daily routine to minimise food waste.With so much confusion about best-before, and use-by, food scientist Eliza Seymour (@theveggiescientist) shares how long your food really lasts, and why shopping in season makes every grocery trip go furtherNo shame in asking for a doggy-bag. Pub-feed favourite Rhys Gard (@rhys.gard) shows how you can turn last night's leftovers into a hearty family dinnerRenowned Executive Chef and restaurateur, Matt Donovan (@chefmattdonovan), reveals the trade secrets for turning leftovers into restaurant-worthy mealsWasting food is so much more than just the individual ingredient. First Nations cook Nathan Lyons (@kookingwithakoori) teaches us how valuing ingredients and cutting food waste is about respecting Country and the land that feeds usWe can all relate to a time where we’ve cooked a bit too much rice. Chef Uma Makhim Subba (@uma.subba29) demystifies how to store rice after you’ve cooked it, while inspiring you to try a completely new recipe from her Nepalese heritageFrom the For You feed to the fridge, Leave No Crumbs is serving up easy tips, hacks and recipes to turn what you’ve already got into what’s next - discovering new recipes, saving money and minimising food waste along the way.Find all this content and more by searching #TikTokNoCrumbs on TikTok. If you’re looking for expert tips and resources to help fight food waste, visit OzHarvest or on TikTok (@OzHarvest).Research commissioned by TikTok and conducted by YouGov. Total sample size was 1,043 Australians aged 18+. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17-21 September 2026.*Food Waste Stats - Australian Waste and Hunger Facts, Oz Harvest - View Online Here**Half Eaten, Australian Food Waste Research, published by OzHarvest 2025© - View Online Here