About one-third of all food produced around the world is wasted! Throwing out food doesn’t only waste money, though. The food we toss out ends up rotting in a landfill where it becomes methane gas—the second most common greenhouse gas.
Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce household food waste, thereby benefiting the environment.
Keep reading to discover five creative ways to reduce food waste. With these tips, you can do your part to minimize climate change and protect the only world we have. Throw out a bad habit with these easy tips.
1. Store Food Properly
First, try to avoid buying too much food. While buying in bulk can help you save money, it also contributed to household food waste.
Buy only what you need, when you need it.
Next, make sure to store the food you buy correctly. Improperly storing fruits and vegetables can cause them to ripen or rot sooner than expected.
For example, make sure not to refrigerate:
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Cucumbers
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
Next, separate foods that produce ethylene gas faster from others. These include:
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Avocadoes
- Bananas
- Peaches
Keep these foods away from leafy green vegetables, apples, peppers, and berries to reduce the risk of spoiling.
2. Preserve and Pickle
Learning how to preserve food is a great way to reduce good wastage. There are many methods that will help your food last longer, including:
- Canning
- Freezing
- Fermenting
- Pickling
- Drying
- Curing
These methods will help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
3. Get Organized
Shoving food into the back of your fridge can leave it out of sight (and find) for too long. Instead, organize your refrigerator using the first-in, first-out (FOFO) method. Make sure your newer items are at the back of the fridge.
While you’re getting organized, consider these tips for effective food waste management.
4. Save Leftovers
Did you cook too much for dinner? Take the time to store your leftovers in glass containers instead of tossing it out. Using glass containers will remind you what’s there.
If you have leftover fruits and vegetables, blend them together. Use the stems, ends, and peels from produce for a nutritious smoothie.
You can also use your leftovers to make homemade stock using peels, stalks, tops, and leftover pieces from your vegetables. You can use the leftover chicken carcass and meat bones, too!
5. Check the Expiration Date
Many people confuse “sell by” and “expires on” labels when they purchase food. In fact, confusion over expiration date labels contributes to 20% of consumer food waste.
“Sell by” refers to when retailers should sell or remove an item from their shelves. “Best by” is for consumers. However, neither mean the product is unsafe to eat by that date. That’s what “use by” is for.
Knowing the difference can help you reduce food wastage.
Protecting the Planet: 5 Easy Ways to Minimize Household Food Waste
Do your part to protect the planet. With these five tips, you can minimize household food waste. Instead, make the most of what you have in your fridge with these tips!
Explore our latest Food and Beverage posts for more tips.
