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There’s a reason for so much discussion about landfills in America. Annually, we toss 80 billion pounds of food away. Recycle Track Systems, an environmentally-focused waste and recycling management company, says that’s equal to each of us discarding 650 average-sized apples.
Food waste is a major environmental and economic issue. The USDA reports 38 million Americans, including 12 million children, are food insecure. You can do your part to minimize food waste and save money at the grocery store by using these strategies:
Shopping and Stocking the Fridge
- Go with a list and a solid plan of what meals you will be cooking that week. Stick to the shopping list and buy what you know your family will eat before it expires—especially if you buy in bulk.
- Move food that’s about to expire to the front of the shelves, so you reach for it first. Alternatively, you can freeze new items to extend shelf life.
Cooking
- Don’t discriminate against ugly produce. Just because it’s misshapen or bruised is not a reason to toss it. Sauces, pies and other delectable transformations can save it. No one can see an apple’s bruises once it’s in a pie.
- Leftovers don’t have to be bland or blah. Get creative, and you may have a whole new meal on your hands. For example, you can add the last bits of spinach dip into an omelet, turn taco Tuesday into tortilla soup Wednesday or make patty melts from that leftover pot roast.
- Don’t throw out expired food or parts you’ve cut off your produce. Instead, start composting fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, nutshells, grass clippings, plants, paper, cardboard, leaves and other biodegradable items. Composting can enrich the soil, fight plant diseases and stave off pests in addition to helping the environment.
Sharing the Wealth
- If you are not much of a cook, there are ways to avoid food waste if you go out to eat, too. Remember that restaurant portions are often large, so split a meal with a friend or take home leftovers to eat for lunch the next day.
- Share the sugary wealth if you make a big batch of shareable food, like cookies or cupcakes! Bring a few to friends at lunch or spread all that Halloween candy your kids got around the office.
- Not going to eat that can of peas? Donate it rather than discard it. The EPA says throwing items away should be a last resort because much of what we dispose of is still edible. Feed people, not landfills, by partnering with a local food kitchen or nonprofit like Feeding America, which rescued 4.7 billion pounds of groceries last year.
