Ways to Reduce Waste in the Kitchen

1.Don’t buy if you can’t eat it before it spoils. This applies to perishable foods and meats. The “economy” size package is no bargain if there’s a lot of waste.

2. Watch the packaging. Ask for paper packaging when possible instead of plastic packaging.

3. Decide how far to go with packaging. Decide if you really need certain products at all. Example, bottled water—tap water is probably just as safe, so why fill the landfill with all those plastic bottles. But if you must buy plastic bottles/cartons, recycle those items.

4. Have a plan. Go to the grocery store with a list. If you don’t you will probably over-buy and end up throwing things out that mold or rot.

5. Reuse it. Leftover food can be composted. Plastic containers can be used to hold food scraps until they are composted.

6. Use your freezer. Purchase food on sale for a great price and freeze it until you need it.

7. Rethink storage. Make sure you store food items properly to cut down on waste. Flour and rice that won’t be used up quickly can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to reduce spoilage.

8. Know what you have on hand. Avoid duplicate purchases when you have leftover food/ingredients at home. This will lower the likelihood of throwing something out that isn’t used up.