Shots fired in Australia's war on waste

SYDNEY - Australia's first recycled supermarket is giving food destined for landfills a second chance, as the government embarks on a major push to cut down on waste costing the economy A$20 billion ($15 billion) a year.

The outlet run by food rescue organization OzHarvest in Sydney takes surplus products normally thrown out by major supermarkets, airlines and other suppliers, and gives them away for free.

It is an attempt to tackle the mounting waste problem in Australia, home to 24 million people, where consumers toss out some 20 percent of food they buy with more than 4 million tons ending up as rubbish each year.