What is Food Waste?
In the United States, food waste is estimated to be between 30-40 percent of the food supply, according to the USDA. In a single year, over 100 billion pounds of food in the United States alone goes to waste and the numbers just keep rising. If you’ve made it to this blog post, you probably are wondering what you can do to combat this enormous issue.
First, let’s talk about where food waste comes from. Food waste can come from many things, including but not limited to:
- Produce or packaged food that is deemed unsellable by farmers or grocers. For example, some produce is misshapen, discolored, or oddly sized and therefore is less likely to sell.
- Some food goes bad during transit to stores.
- Food with sell-by dates are thrown out once they reach those dates, even if the food is still good.
- Cooked, uneaten food in the fridge.
Tips to Cut Down on Food Waste
I’ve found that making small changes to how you store food in your kitchen makes a world of difference when it comes to reducing food waste. Whether you regularly end up having to throw away food or not, there are are always ways in which we can improve in this area. Below are a few ways to shop and store food to make sure it lasts long enough to be eaten.
- Keep a bin front and center in your refrigerator with the foods that are about to go bad.
- Don’t buy more than you’ll use. This is easier said than done, but this can be achieved by planning meals or taking a note of foods you regularly end up throwing out.
- Plan meals ahead of time. Make grocery shopping lists that are specific for those meals.
- Check sell-by dates when you are shopping at grocery stores.
- Buy from grocery stores and farmers markets that sell produce and other foods from local farms. If you live near a Co-op, that is a great place to start.
- Freeze foods before they go bad. You can also cook meals with the intention of freezing them to keep them from going bad. This is a popular idea amongst people who have busy schedules or large families.
Storing Food to Prevent Food Waste
Non-perishables:
- Store nuts and seeds in the refrigerator.
- Store nut and seed flours in the refrigerator.
- Keep grains and beans in clean, sealed containers.
Produce:
- Store fresh herbs in a glass jar with water and cover with a plastic bag.
- Keep bananas together. Don’t separate them from the bunch.
- Put an apple with your bag of potatoes. This has been proven to keep them from sprouting.
- Don’t refrigerate tomatoes.
- Keep dried fruits in sealed, air-tight containers to keep from going stale.
- Consider prepping fruits and veggies before you plan on eating them. This will make it feel easier to grab-and-go.
- Freeze produce that’s about to go bad.
Composting at Home
In 2010, 33 million tons of food waste ended up in our landfills, making it the largest component of waste reaching the landfill. Luckily, composting will keep our food waste out of landfills while making our gardens healthier. If you’ve ever wondered how to compost, hopefully this guide will help you start.
What foods you can and can’t compost:
DO Compost:
- Fruits & vegetables
- Rice & grains
- Eggshells
- Flowers
- Cooked food (without dairy or meat)
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
DO NOT Compost:
- Meat & fish
- Bones
- Oils & butter
- Cooked food (with oil, meat & dairy)
For small spaces (like apartments):
- Either invest in a small compost bin (this is the one I use) or keep your compost in a Stasher bag (or other reusable silicone bag) and store it in the freezer.
- You can use your own compost for gardens or house plants or bring your compost to a local compost bin. If you have friends or family near by who have a garden, consider bringing your compost to them regularly.
If you own your own home:
- You can build a compost bin in your back yard and use it on your own garden. For a great resource for starting your own backyard compost pile, check out this article.
Businesses That Are Combatting Food Waste
More and more people are talking about food waste as the important issue that it is. With this has come an increase in businesses that sell food that is deemed “imperfect” to keep those perfectly-edible foods from being thrown away. Below are a few businesses that are leading those efforts:
- Imperfect Foods
- Misfits Market
- Odd Box (UK)
- Wonky Veg Boxes (UK)
Companies that use those foods in their products:
If you have any questions or just want to chat about sustainability, leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
