In America, FOOD WASTE is a major issue. We throw away more than 40% of the food we produce, which could annually feed 50 million people. I’m delighted to share with you five ways you may contribute to the battle against food waste because of this.
Buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk is a great way to save money, reduce packaging waste and food waste, and help prevent plastic pollution.
- Buy in bulk to save money: Buying more of your groceries at once can be cheaper than buying smaller quantities over time. This also allows you to try out new products before committing to them so that you don’t end up with unwanted items in your pantry or fridge!
- Buy in bulk for reduced packaging waste: If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our Plastic Pollution research project at UCL (the University College London), it’s that reducing plastic packaging will reduce plastic pollution overall by encouraging people to buy less stuff by making it easier for them not only find what they want but also buy less stuff overall – which means less need for packaging too!
Look for a return on your food purchases.
- Buy local. If you have the option, buy food grown or produced in your area. This helps save money, keeps the earth healthy and enables farmers to make a living off their land.
- Buy what’s on offer at the grocery store–but don’t waste your money if it’s not tempting enough!
- Buy what you need (and only what you need). Don’t buy things just because they’re there; think about how much time it will take to use them up first so that there isn’t any waste later on down the road when they’re gone forever!
Being mindful of what you buy from the market will keep more from being wasted
Being mindful of what you buy from the market will keep more from being wasted. Buying in bulk, buying seasonal produce, and buying local produce are all ways to avoid wasting food. If possible, buy organic/locally grown produce with no added chemicals or pesticides as well.
The best way to reduce your food waste is by eating at home! Make sure that your fridge is always stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables that won’t spoil quickly on their own so they’ll last longer than one day before getting eaten up by bugs or rodents (or both). Another great idea: visit local farmer’s markets where they sell fresh meat directly from farmers’ stalls who take pride in raising animals humanely without using any harmful chemicals whatsoever! You can also find some great deals here too – just look out for signs saying “locally grown” or “guaranteed freshness”.
Don’t forget to compost or recycle your leftovers.
If you’re not sure where to start, start composting! Composting is a great way to turn scraps into fertilizer and keep your kitchen waste from ending up in landfills.
- Compost at home: Composting can easily be done at home. The first step is to buy a compost bin or two (you can find them at any garden store), and then add some of your own ingredients like grass clippings or leaves. You’ll also need a few other pieces of equipment such as an old bucket for mixing the food waste with water, something called “heat beads” (which heat up slowly) that will help break down organic matter faster than just letting things sit out on their own without being mixed together well enough–these are widely available at hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s–and a trowel/spade if you want to rake through the pile yourself instead of using tools provided by manufacturers; some people use shovels instead because they’re cheaper!
Use a reusable, recyclable bag for produce.
A reusable bag is the best way to carry your produce home. Not only is it better for the environment, but it’s also better for your wallet and health as well as helping keep food waste out of landfills. If you’re looking for an easy way to start reducing food waste in your household, consider using a reusable grocery bag instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil!
It will take some time before you see any difference in how much food goes into that plastic container versus one with no packaging at all (both are equally easy). But once you get started with this method, there’s no limit on how many times per week/month/year (or whatever) you can reuse these bags without worrying about them getting too gross or dirty looking after a few uses (which happens more often than we’d like).
The best thing we can do for the environment is to stop wasting food
Food waste is a big problem, and it’s not just about how much food gets thrown away in your home. It’s also about how much landfills are full of perfectly good food that could be eaten by someone else if you weren’t throwing it away.
Food waste contributes to climate change because all that rotting fruit and vegetables produces methane–a greenhouse gas 20 times worse than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. And when you consider that there’s enough land on Earth for everyone to grow their own food (and then some), it becomes clear why so many people feel overwhelmed by their need to eat better before they even start thinking about how they should prepare those foods at home!
You can change the world by devoting some time to considering your diet. You’ll eat less and lose weight because you’ll have a better connection with food. Also, by considering your choices, you may save money on groceries and lessen your carbon footprint by making eco-friendly product selections. Yet in the end, it all boils down to one thing: waste not, want not!
