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How Can We Combat Food Wastage?

Updated: Aug 1, 2018

A growing issue all over developing world. How can we fix it?

Food is being thrown away more than ever before. One-third of all food being produced in America is ending up in landfills. This can cause major damage to our environment and it is morally wrong.


What can we do at the supermarket?


There are many things we can do at home to help reduce the amount of food we waste. First off, let's address the problem from the beginning. Going into the grocery store without a plan can lead to buying food items that aren't needed. So, it is important that you walk into the grocery store with a list. Know what you need and what you need to buy so you can reduce the amount of unnecessary item bought.


What can we do at home?- Food Storage


It is easy to overbuy on food and forget about them. It is important that you research how long a certain fruit can stay ripe and fresh. It is also important that you keep certain foods in the right places to maximize the freshness. It is important that you store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves, and store fruits and vegetables in different bins due the natural gasses that these foods emit as they are ripening (EPA). A huge mistake people make is rinsing fruit and putting them back in the fridge. This will quicken the amount of mold growing on the fruit. So, don't rinse the fruit until you will be eating it.


Prep Tips

A lot of food is wasted during meal preparation. How can we reduce the amount of food being thrown in the trash?

Many items can be composted and made into great, nutrient-rich soil for a garden. Often, people throw away the stems and peels in the trash, which could be used for the compost (Check our blog about composting for more information). Chop and prep all the food items you need and keep them in containers to use later for snacks or for a meal. Make sure you are aware of all the items that are in your fridge and create meal plans to make sure that all the food in you fridge is being used. Don't forget about the leftovers! It is also important that you know the difference between "sell by," "use by," and "good by."


Conclusion


All in all, it is important to know what's in your fridge and only buy what you need. If something in your fridge goes bad, it is important to know if it can be put in the compost and help eliminate the amount of methane being created from food that ends up in landfills.

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