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Loading...12 Simple Ways to Reduce Food Waste
- Becky Striepe
- January 17, 2012
- 5:05 pm
- 79 comments
It happens to all of us. You’re cleaning out the fridge and discover a container whose contents have started to turn into an alien life form. Or maybe you totally over ordered while dining out but can’t stomach putting your leftovers into a Styrofoam container. Food waste can feel like a fact of life, but if we become more mindful of what’s on our plates and in our pantries, we can take control of our food waste and make a big difference!
We waste one third of the food produced worldwide each year. In a world struggling to feed a population of 7 billion, that is a big problem. Luckily, we have a lot of power as consumers to curb our food waste. Here are some easy ways that you can waste less to save money and help the planet.
1. Eat those leftovers! Whether you eat them as-is or turn them into something new, don’t toss those leftovers in the trash bin.
2. Compost. All of those food scraps from prepping you meals are too valuable to throw away. Compost them instead, even if you don’t have space for a compost heap. Apartment-dwellers can still get in on the composting action.
3. Grow your own. Part of the waste in our food supply occurs because of spoilage during shipping. When you grow food yourself, you cut back on food miles and on waste. You don’t need a huge garden to grow some of your own food! If you have a small yard or live in an apartment, try growing food in containers.
4. Eat less meat. Meat production wastes food. How? Rather than eating beans and grains directly, we feed them to livestock. It’s a much less efficient way to produce food. Try eating more meatless meals to waste less.
Next>> Reducing food waste and packaging
Image Credit: Food Waste photo via Thinkstock
Read more: Conscious Consumer, Eco-friendly tips, Food, Green, Green Kitchen Tips, Home, Household Hints, Reduce, Recycle & Reuse, food, food waste, reduce, reduce food waste, wasted food
Becky Striepe
Becky Striepe is a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! Like this article? You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook!
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Well butter my biscuit, I learned a lot here. Thank you! :)
Mom wanted to get in on the fun too! That is a sturdy pool!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
hmmmmmm
79 comments
+ add your ownThanks!
good tips
good tips
These handy useful tips have been around for ages, But if were still talking about them means not to many people are putting them to practice?
Lets see if things start to change...
I already do all these...they become habit after a while :)
I'll definitely bring a reusable container next time we go out to a restaurant to eat--and a green bag to put it in too, of course!
Some good ideas, some I already doing others I will give a try
These are some really good tips.
thanks
good suggestions, I do most of these. thank you.
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