Roast a larger chicken at the weekend so you can transform the leftovers into this warm and comforting stew. The carcass is used to make a flavourful stock, and it’s topped with fluffy thyme dumplings for a weeknight treat. Enter the world of DIY decor, second-hand treasures, and biodegradable materials.
Make Homemade Stock
If you find you routinely throw out slimy greens and moldy fruit, you might be a little overambitious with your produce purchases. Buying in bulk makes sense for canned and dry goods that last a long time, but take a look at your produce cooking https://www.wwf.org.uk/better-basket and eating habits and try to plan your shopping list accordingly. If your weekly routine can shift a bit, try shopping European-style by taking shorter, more frequent trips to the store to pick up what you need for the next day or two. Many fruits and vegetables are thrown away because their size, shape, or colors don’t quite match what we think these items “should” look like.
Energy Efficiency: Turn off lights, use energy-saving devices, and opt for natural lighting to cut waste
Label everything with the name and date so items don’t get lost in the depths of the freezer. “Keep a running list of what’s in your freezer so nothing gets lost,” says Blomgren. Sight, smell, and texture are often better indicators of freshness than printed dates. “If food has any off-coloring, fuzz, or growths, it should be tossed. If it smells sour (and it’s not a sour food) or smells not right, it should be thrown out,” says Hunnes. For instance, many greens and vegetables may slightly soften or wilt when they are just past ripe. They still may make excellent additions to soups, smoothies, or baked dishes.
Recipes
- Partner with local recycling programs or organizations that handle these materials responsibly.
- Even if you rarely bake, you’ll be glad to have a cake pan or pie plate on hand when fresh fruit threatens to implode.
- Start with simple changes that are easy for you to maintain – making your own snacks and taking a water bottle everywhere with you is a great place to start.
- This way, you’re more likely to use up the older stuff before it expires.
- Be mindful of store policies—some retailers require specific handling of reusable containers for hygiene reasons.
- When this happens, food items in different fridge sections could go bad and eventually have to be thrown into household waste.
For example, keep tea and honey in the same cupboard, and keep baking ingredients together in the pantry. Although most Americans store butter in the fridge, keeping butter on the counter is typical in many parts of the world. Room-temperature butter is easier to spread on toast, meaning less could be used overall, saving more. Just be sure to use within a few days and keep stored properly — for instance, in a French butter bell. Instead of throwing away the ends of onions, carrots, and celery, toss them in a freezer bag along with mushroom stems, stray garlic cloves, and herb stems. When the bag is full, use it to make a flavorful broth or stock from ingredients that otherwise would’ve wound up in the garbage.
More ways to cut down on kitchen waste
These challenges include lack of awareness, improper food storage practices, and misconceptions regarding food expiration dates. Additionally, controversies surrounding food waste reduction strategies, such as inconsistencies in food labeling policies or liability concerns for food donations, can hinder progress. This way, you’re less likely to buy things you don’t need and that you’re unlikely to actually consume. Buy items only when you have a plan for using them, and wait until perishables are all used up before buying more. We’re all guilty of letting our fresh herbs wilt and die before using the whole bundle. Cut back on food waste by planting your own herb garden so you can pluck as many or as few leaves as your recipe requires!
Keep Your Fridge Clutter-Free
So instead of discarding leftovers or spare ingredients, check online for new tasty recipes to try. Various smart storage products are available on the market that can help you keep track of the shelf-life of food. One such example is a smart tagging platform that allows you to unimeal reviews simply attach a tag to a food item as it is transferred to the cupboard or the fridge for storage. For example, oats can be used for oatmeal, granola, baking, or even as a meat substitute in burgers. This versatility reduces the need for multiple pre-packaged products, further minimizing waste.
Keep A “Toss Vs. Keep” Checklist
Schools can implement recycling and composting programs, provide reusable utensils and dishes in cafeterias, and educate students about the importance of reducing waste. Encouraging waste-free lunches and organizing eco-friendly events can also promote sustainable habits. While setting up bins is straightforward, maintaining the program requires vigilance. At home, establish a routine for emptying bins, such as weekly transfers to larger outdoor recycling containers. At school, assign recycling monitors—students or staff—to ensure bins are not overflowing and to address any sorting mistakes. Monitor the program’s effectiveness by tracking the volume of recycled materials over time.
If You Can’t Reduce Wasted Food, Divert It From Landfills
In this regard, the business avoids wasting food and still makes a small profit while the consumer receives food at a discount, thereby saving money. Other categories of foods such as frozen fruits and vegetables and ice cream, must be properly packaged and can be stored in the freezer for a longer term. If freezing food, write the date it was placed in the freezer on the outside of the container or package. Dry foods such as rice are best stored in airtight containers at room temperature.
Healthy Meal Plans for Less Than $10 a Day
You don’t need a backyard to compost; many communities have drop-off sites, some municipal programs offer curbside collection, and countertop bin options are available.
If you’re so inclined, you can use what many people may reflexively consider food waste—bones, peels, stems, cheese rinds, pasta and rice water, and more—in countless ways. Many cultures utilize every scrap, but sometimes it may take a little insider knowledge to learn how to use it all. Adler, whose latest book is entirely crafted around the concept of food scraps, argues that in most cuisines, these bits add essential flavor. Certain fruits keep better in the fridge, while others do better at room temperature, and storing them properly reduces waste. Citrus, tomatoes, and avocados, for example, are better left unrefrigerated, but cucumbers, peppers, and carrots are better stored in the fridge. Just start a compost pile in the backyard or even under the sink, and convert food waste into a useful resource.
Plan ahead for evenings and weekends
Partner with local recycling programs or organizations that handle these materials responsibly. For instance, programs like TerraCycle accept hard-to-recycle items such as pens, packaging, and even coffee capsules. Communicate these options clearly to staff, emphasizing the environmental impact of diverting these items from landfills. Improper food storage is a silent culprit behind household waste, with 30-40% of food in the U.S. going uneaten annually. The solution begins with understanding how different foods degrade. For instance, storing tomatoes in the fridge halts ripening and compromises texture, while potatoes and onions thrive in cool, dark places.