Recycling is crucial for a sustainable lifestyle, it benefits the environment in various ways including the prevention of food waste. Food loss and waste are food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and foodservice sales, and consumption. Overall, about one-third of the world's food is thrown away. According to Wild Planet, most Americans spend a third or more of their grocery dollars on the food they never actually eat. They don’t do that on purpose, of course. No one would intentionally buy extra fruit, vegetables, or meat just so they could throw them away. But that’s essentially what happens. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most Americans waste a solid 30% of the food they buy, not just once in a while but over and over again.
First, let's focus on reducing, throwing away less food, and becoming better buyers. Start by planning meals before you go to the store so you can shop from a list of ingredients you actually intend to use. Keep a shopping list on your phone and note the items you need to buy before you start wheeling your cart around. That way, you’ll steer clear of random purchases and splurges that might just end up in the trash. Restrict bulk buying to canned and dried packaged foods rather than fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables can be frozen after you par-cook them slightly; most meat and fish can simply be wrapped tightly and stowed in the freezer without any pre-cooking.
To continue, reusing or repurposing, making leftovers your best friends. Eating leftovers saves time, shopping, and cooking. Plus, prepared food often tastes more delicious the day after it has been cooked and all the flavors have had a chance to deepen and blend. Set aside one night a week to use up all the leftovers in the fridge. Most importantly, eat leftovers sooner rather than later. Keeping them in the front of the fridge makes them easy to see and grab without much effort.
Finally, recycling turns your food scraps into something good. Composting food waste is the trick here, and it’s easier than you might think. Toss tea and coffee grounds directly into garden soil. For bulkier food scraps, create a compost pile or buy a rotating composting barrel; all you have to do is dump the scraps in and give the barrel a turn or two. Or, get an electric composter that sits in the kitchen or pantry like another appliance and transforms food waste into fertilizer in 24 hours.
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