How to Waste Less Food
Check out these simple yet effective ways to throw away less food and stretch your supermarket budget
Shana Levy McCracken
5 April 2017
Houzz Contributor. Shana is a sustainability consultant who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Green MBA as well as a master's degree in Culture, Ecology & Sustainable Community and a bachelor's in Conservation & Resource Studies. Shana has been an environmental communications professional for over 20 years now.
Houzz Contributor. Shana is a sustainability consultant who lives and works in the... More
Nobody wants to waste food, but most of us do – in fact, quite a lot. UK households threw out £13bn worth of food in 2015 that could have been eaten, according to waste and recycling advisory organisation, Wrap. The average person in the UK wastes around £200 a year and the average family £700 by binning good food. If, like me, you’d like to get those numbers down, there are actually quite a few effective ways to stop wasting food.
Plan around what you already have
Shop smart by considering what you already have before making your shopping list. Try to come up with one or two meals based around ingredients already in your cupboard. This way, you’ll use what you have well before it expires.
TIP If you’re struggling for recipe ideas, online sites can be very helpful. Many sites let you type in a few ingredients and then they’ll come up with recipes that include them.
Not enough space to grow food? Be inspired by this gardener and his pocket-sized vegetable patch
Shop smart by considering what you already have before making your shopping list. Try to come up with one or two meals based around ingredients already in your cupboard. This way, you’ll use what you have well before it expires.
TIP If you’re struggling for recipe ideas, online sites can be very helpful. Many sites let you type in a few ingredients and then they’ll come up with recipes that include them.
Not enough space to grow food? Be inspired by this gardener and his pocket-sized vegetable patch
Specify quantities
Once you know what you still need to buy, write the items down along with specific quantities, such as ‘enough for three lunches’. It’s also helpful to think about whether you’ll be eating out during the coming week and, if so, how many times. We’ve all planned meals only to have the ingredients go bad when we’re suddenly too busy to cook. So be realistic about your schedule for the week when planning, and cut down accordingly on the amount you buy.
Revamping your garden? Check out these brilliant makeover ideas
Once you know what you still need to buy, write the items down along with specific quantities, such as ‘enough for three lunches’. It’s also helpful to think about whether you’ll be eating out during the coming week and, if so, how many times. We’ve all planned meals only to have the ingredients go bad when we’re suddenly too busy to cook. So be realistic about your schedule for the week when planning, and cut down accordingly on the amount you buy.
Revamping your garden? Check out these brilliant makeover ideas
Store sensibly
After you’ve brought your groceries home, take time to store them carefully. How much are you going to eat in the next two to three days? Keep that amount in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer for later.
TIP Food is less likely to go mouldy if it’s kept dry, so rinse your fruits and vegetables only when you’re about to use them.
After you’ve brought your groceries home, take time to store them carefully. How much are you going to eat in the next two to three days? Keep that amount in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer for later.
TIP Food is less likely to go mouldy if it’s kept dry, so rinse your fruits and vegetables only when you’re about to use them.
Use this fool-proof storage method
Keep your food dry by taking it out of any plastic wrapping or bags that it came in. But don’t leave it exposed in your fridge’s salad drawer, as it’s likely to dry out. Instead, wrap food such as cauliflower in a cloth towel before putting it in your salad drawer. This will prevent overdrying and keep mould at bay. You can also use paper towels but that will only produce more waste of the landfill variety. Try this method and you’ll be amazed at how much longer food lasts.
Keep your food dry by taking it out of any plastic wrapping or bags that it came in. But don’t leave it exposed in your fridge’s salad drawer, as it’s likely to dry out. Instead, wrap food such as cauliflower in a cloth towel before putting it in your salad drawer. This will prevent overdrying and keep mould at bay. You can also use paper towels but that will only produce more waste of the landfill variety. Try this method and you’ll be amazed at how much longer food lasts.
Shop more often
Buy produce, fish and other more perishable foods fresh and when you need them, rather than shopping less frequently and buying more than you need. With spring and summer just around the corner, we can look forward to a variety of fresh produce at local stands and farmers’ markets, so make the most of it.
TIP If shopping more frequently feels like too much of a burden, buy more precooked and frozen items than fresh produce.
Buy produce, fish and other more perishable foods fresh and when you need them, rather than shopping less frequently and buying more than you need. With spring and summer just around the corner, we can look forward to a variety of fresh produce at local stands and farmers’ markets, so make the most of it.
TIP If shopping more frequently feels like too much of a burden, buy more precooked and frozen items than fresh produce.
Understand expiry dates
Do you understand those dates and phrases printed on packaged foods?
Check out this quick guide from the Food Standards Agency: the ‘use by’ date is about safety: “Foods can be eaten (and most can be frozen) up until the use by date, but not after. You will see use by dates on food that goes off quickly, such as meat products or ready-prepared salads. For the use by to be a valid guide, you must carefully follow storage instructions.”
The ‘best before’ date is about quality and not safety: “The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good. The best before dates appear on a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and other foods. The best before date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the label.”
So don’t be too quick to throw away food that’s probably still perfectly good.
Tip: For more information, take a look at the NHS guidelines on food safety.
Do you understand those dates and phrases printed on packaged foods?
Check out this quick guide from the Food Standards Agency: the ‘use by’ date is about safety: “Foods can be eaten (and most can be frozen) up until the use by date, but not after. You will see use by dates on food that goes off quickly, such as meat products or ready-prepared salads. For the use by to be a valid guide, you must carefully follow storage instructions.”
The ‘best before’ date is about quality and not safety: “The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good. The best before dates appear on a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and other foods. The best before date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the label.”
So don’t be too quick to throw away food that’s probably still perfectly good.
Tip: For more information, take a look at the NHS guidelines on food safety.
Share your bounty
Do you have fruit trees you can’t keep up with during their peak production? Not to worry. There are harvesting services available where volunteers come and pick the fruit for you, then deliver it to local food banks. You won’t end up with a big mess on the ground, and you won’t feel like a bad apple.
TIP There are fruit surplus organisations in west London and south Manchester, for example, or search online for one that’s local to you (try typing in ‘fruit tree surplus charity UK’).
Do you have fruit trees you can’t keep up with during their peak production? Not to worry. There are harvesting services available where volunteers come and pick the fruit for you, then deliver it to local food banks. You won’t end up with a big mess on the ground, and you won’t feel like a bad apple.
TIP There are fruit surplus organisations in west London and south Manchester, for example, or search online for one that’s local to you (try typing in ‘fruit tree surplus charity UK’).
Become a compost maven
No matter how careful you are, you’ll always have a few vegetable trimmings, apple cores and eggshells left over. A great way to reduce food waste impact is to compost items instead of throwing them away. Even organic matter breaks down very slowly in a modern landfill and does so anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. This results in a lot of methane which, say scientists, warms the earth even more than carbon dioxide. In fact, landfills are one of the main sources of this powerful greenhouse gas.
In contrast, a home composting system turns all that organic material into a rich soil amendment – a material that helps improve the permeability and water retention of soil, so your garden will thank you.
TIP If you’re new to composting, you can find lots of advice online, including this handy guide on how to create your own worm bin. You can also check out these other useful resources.
No matter how careful you are, you’ll always have a few vegetable trimmings, apple cores and eggshells left over. A great way to reduce food waste impact is to compost items instead of throwing them away. Even organic matter breaks down very slowly in a modern landfill and does so anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. This results in a lot of methane which, say scientists, warms the earth even more than carbon dioxide. In fact, landfills are one of the main sources of this powerful greenhouse gas.
In contrast, a home composting system turns all that organic material into a rich soil amendment – a material that helps improve the permeability and water retention of soil, so your garden will thank you.
TIP If you’re new to composting, you can find lots of advice online, including this handy guide on how to create your own worm bin. You can also check out these other useful resources.
Use food waste bins
If, despite all your efforts, you still have some unwanted food and your local borough has a food waste collection service, make sure you use your council-provided caddy and not the rubbish bin. Those scraps will be turned into compost at an industrial-scale facility and be put to good use. To make it easier, consider investing in a worktop recycling bin for food scraps.
TIP If you’re not sure what can go into your food waste caddy, check with your local council, which will have a list of suitable scraps it can take.
How do you try to avoid food waste at home? Share your tips in the Comments below.
If, despite all your efforts, you still have some unwanted food and your local borough has a food waste collection service, make sure you use your council-provided caddy and not the rubbish bin. Those scraps will be turned into compost at an industrial-scale facility and be put to good use. To make it easier, consider investing in a worktop recycling bin for food scraps.
TIP If you’re not sure what can go into your food waste caddy, check with your local council, which will have a list of suitable scraps it can take.
How do you try to avoid food waste at home? Share your tips in the Comments below.
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@happylemon: What you read is true in many countries in Europe. And it's not just cities either. When I lived in the Middle East for a couple years, I lived in a small town of less than 1000 people. I biked everywhere. So did most people. On a kibbutz, I walked everywhere since it was like a very small village. Everyone knew everyone else. There were a few vehicles that were used to get supplies in a nearby small town that was about 30 miles away.
When I lived in a big city in the USA, I walked and used public transport. I rented a garage for my car which I only used on trips. Now I'm in an area that is growing but still limited in people. I generally walk to my neighbors who are a bit over ¼ mile away, but do take my truck into town for supplies - 20 miles away. Sometimes I'll use my UV going to my neighbors' places but then we are generally working on a project, so it's full of tools and supplies for the project.
Wow, that's impressive!
I have a genetic condition that causes severe pain and fatigue.
I lost my balance around the age of 30. I can't even ride a bicycle anymore.
Prior to that, I was very agile and I Irish-danced for 14 years, to the championship level. I traveled throughout the USA and abroad for competitions.
I've been to about fifteen countries, most of which were in Europe and I spent a semester in Italy, which was fabulous.
I'm in so much pain at the age of 45 that I'm unable to fly domestically.
The longest I can tolerate sitting in a car is 2 hours.
Fortunately, I do live in a highly populated area (which is a nightmare for some people), so I don't have to travel more than a couple of miles in order to run errands.
Well this comment took quite a turn from the topic of the article.😂
I applaud you for being so active and industrious!
@happpylemon: Sounds like fibermyalgia. I have a dear friend who's had it for almost her entire adult life. Wasn't diagnosed until about 20 years ago. Recent treatments, food regimen and certain exercises has helped alleviate, but it never really goes away. She even takes acupuncture treatments.
Anyway, like her, it seems you still get around until recently. Keep searching for things that help you. My friend still gets around and she's in her late 60s. She's slower today, and she takes things in stride and keeps as active as possible. Some days are good, some aren't.
Where there is a will, hope and faith one never knows what the human being is capable of doing. Never give up.
P.S. You should have seen me with a broken ankle feeding livestock and using the tractor! LOL