Most of us don’t realize how much food we throw away every day. About 94% of the food we throw away ends up in landfills. Food waste in our landfills leads to the emission of methane gas causing carbon pollution which is a major contributor to harming our environment. We can mitigate this pollution by reducing food waste.
There are many ways to reduce food waste in our homes.
Plan
Thinking ahead before you make your grocery run is crucial to avoiding food waste.
- Plan meals ahead of time for whatever time span is most realistic to you– whether that be by the week or even the entire month.
- Ask yourself if you plan on ordering take out (be honest here, if you usually want to change it up midweek then take that into account when meal planning).
- Include quantities when you make your grocery list (example: rice- enough for 3 meals).
- Finally, don’t forget to check your pantry and refrigerator before you head to the store to avoid buying duplicate items. Also, consider what ingredients you already have that could serve as good substitutes for what is called for in the recipe (ex: olive oil can replace butter in most cases).
Prep
Prepare your perishables ahead of time to maximize your chances of using them, it will save you time and effort later in the week.
- Wash and dry your fruits ahead of time so they’re ready to use when you’re ready to begin cooking.
- Chop veggies ahead of time so they’re ready for cooking or snacking.
- Use your freezer
- Freeze meat that you won’t be able to eat in time
- Cook and freeze meals to eat later
- Cook and freeze produce to use over time
Pack
How many times have you had to throw away vegetables because they went bad in your refrigerator? It’s easy to forget about our perishables. Did you know that some fruits ripen faster and can cause neighboring produce to soil prematurely? Find out the best way to store your favorite fruits or vegetables so they will stay fresh longer. If you don’t have room for bulky tupperware containers, Stasher makes reusable silicone bags so you can fully pack your freezer and fridge if needed!
When you take these steps to reduce food waste in your home you lower your carbon footprint by reducing methane emissions, conserve energy and resources and save money by buying less food.