Reducing our food waste at home is an important step we can all take to help protect the environment and reduce our impact on the planet. And, of course, the effect on our household budget. According to the United Nations, approximately one-third of all the food produced worldwide is wasted. This has a significant environmental impact regarding the resources used to produce, transport, and dispose of that food.
We can do several things to reduce our food waste at home.
Plan your meals
Before going shopping, make a shopping list of the meals you plan to make for the week and only buy the ingredients you need. This will help you to avoid buying more food than you can use before its sell-by date.
Use your freezer more
It’s good practice to use your freezer more to store leftovers or excess food that you won’t be able to use before it goes bad. Freezing can help preserve your food’s quality and extend its shelf life. Besides, the fuller your freezer, the cheaper it is to run. If you can’t afford to keep it full of food, keep more ice in it.
Be smart about storage
Proper food storage can help to extend the shelf life of your food. Keep fruits and vegetables separate, as some products can release gases that cause other produce to spoil faster. Store perishable items in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible.
Check your food cupboard periodically
Tins and packets hidden at the back of the cupboard can go out-of-date without us realizing it. We often forget that these types of foods also have a sell-by-date.
Celebrations
Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, BBQs etc., are notoriously well-known events to create food waste, especially Christmas time. There is always a temptation to buy more. So plan these events carefully.
Learn to be creative with leftovers
Instead of letting leftovers go to waste, get creative and turn them into new meals. For example, you can use leftover cooked vegetables to make an omelette, soup, or stir-fry.
Price Reduced Foods
It’s very tempting to buy the food in the reduced sections unless you plan to eat it straight away; it could be a false economy.
Compost
If you end up with food scraps that you can’t use, consider starting a compost bin in your back garden. Composting is a great way to reduce waste and provide nutrients for your garden.
Wild Birds
The wild birds that visit your garden will appreciate your suitable leftovers.
The top five most wasted foods
Bread – freezes well; however, 240 million slices of bread are thrown away. Instead, make bread and butter pudding, bread crumbs, or freeze it for toast.
Milk – nearly 6 million glasses are poured down the sink each year. Make a rice pudding or a smoothie.
Potatoes – 5.8 million potatoes are wasted each year. Cook them in some way and then freeze them.
Cheese – cheese can go mouldy or dry. Cut the mould off and grate the cheese, and freeze.
Apples – 1.3 million apples are thrown away each year. Bake then or make an apple sauce.
Reducing food waste at home is an easy and effective way to impact our environment and household budget positively. It seems such a shame to waste so much food, especially when I think of those who need to visit a food bank. However, by following these simple steps, we can all do our part to reduce waste and protect the planet’s resources.
