A few tips on reducing volume of your produce garbage (and increasing your wallet’s).
We are all growing conscious, how big of a problem waste is nowadays. In terms of food, over a billion ton (!) is thrown away globally every year, amounting on 30–40% of the annual production itself. It is not only the problem of the produce itself, but also of the resources used to grow it. How much water, power, soil, labour and pesticides are being wasted the moment the food produced on them is trashed — not to mention suffering of millions of animals, which is out of any measurable scale.
Ok, this was not meant to be that deep and depressing. Those thoughts just spill out of me each time I touch the subject, as it is grotesque to me, how this World operates sometimes (often). While being here, I want to ensure you this is not your fault in any way— it easy to feel responsible for the state of things we cannot actually control, which is actually very demotivating. Yet, there are definitely a few things you can control, and I am here to give you some ideas.
1. Buy what you are going to use up…
You’ve probably heard that a multitude of times already — “think ahead, stick to your shopping list, prepare a meal plan, don’t splurge” etc. While there are definitely many reasons to take on such approach, it might also feel a bit rigid and limiting. Instead, I would like to propose asking yourself the question of “am I going to use it up before it goes bad?” with every non-shelf stable product (e.g. dairy, fruits, vegetables, meat and bread). I believe this simple thought can make any grocery shopping significantly more mindful, without much required preparation.
What to do when in doubt? I usually just skip buying certain items that time. Then, at home, I can see whether I actually needed them — which is rarely the case. Taking a photo of your fridge or pantry before heading to a store might also be helpful, especially at first. The whole process becomes easier after a few weeks and then can be done almost automatically.
2. …and then actually use it up.
In other words: eat what you have on hand. This may seem either boring (eating the same thing again) or challenging (confusion as how to utilize available ingredients). Indeed, coming up with new, zero-waste recipes might require some effort and research. However, many dishes created this way turn out even better than the ‘regular’ ones. A leading example would be a simple frittata, which I made from rock-hard bread and leftover potatoes — delish!
Of course, this also involves cooking as much as you will eat. This might be tricky at times, especially if you prepare meals every few days. The next point discusses what one can do with a surplus of non-shelf-stable food.
3. Learn food preservation techniques.
Many of us, even knowing our way around the kitchen pretty well, are completely clueless when it comes to food preservation. The reason for that is lack of such need among modern developed society, where food is easily available — for ones who are privileged to can afford it, naturally. Hence, we often just need to learn these ourselves.
Fridge with freezer is something most of us can properly operate, however, methods like canning or fermenting are rarely a part of our lifestyles.
4. Do regular pantry clean-ups.
I find keeping a (relatively) organized pantry very helpful when it comes to effective “food management”. It allows me to be more or less aware what I already have and, hence, avoid doubling (or tripling) the items. From my experience, freezer can be a real focal point there, as it is easy to stuck up things one on another and then forget which are already there. It is good to go through them once or twice a year, along with defrosting your shelves or even the whole freezer.
Shelf-stable and frozen product can often last for months — if not years — however, they eventually go bad, too. Going through the pantry regularly allows to maintain a reasonable rotation of products, ensuring that they are used before (or only slightly after) expiration date.
5. Share with others!
It is an underestimated and probably most important point of this article. Using local Facebook groups or online services such as Foodsharing helped me pass a lot of the food items further - especially during pantry clean-ups. Donating products to organizations helping the homeless or simply preparing packages for people living on the streets within one’s area, is also a great way for helping ones in need.
