How to reduce food waste

Food waste is a shocking waste of resources. Let's work together to change this narrative, making mindful choices to ensure every meal is savored and every ingredient is valued.

 

“Inger Andersen, the executive director of the UNEP, which wrote the report in conjunction with the UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), described food waste as “a global tragedy”, Andersen said: “Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world. Not only is this a major development issue, but the impacts of such unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/27/fifth-of-food-wasted-globally-at-cost-of-1tn-a-year-says-un-report

 

“Preventing food waste can be made possible through greater adoption of affordable and user-friendly technologies, best practices initiatives, and more awareness campaigns, experts who met at a recent virtual awareness meeting have said.” https://www.arabnews.com/node/2484401/saudi-arabia

 

It's time to rethink how we view food – from a precious resource to a disposable commodity.

Do you feel guilty about tossing out edible food?

I feel regretful.

Let's change that together.

Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

 

Environmental issues

Throwing away too much food is a big problem all around the world. Food waste hurts our economy, environment, and communities. Every year, about 1.3 billion tons of food gets thrown away globally. This waste costs us around $1 trillion (1). We need to take responsibility and realize that wasted food is pollution. Wasted food represents a significant source of pollution and environmental degradation throughout its lifecycle, from production to disposal. Minimizing food waste is essential for reducing pollution, conserving resources, mitigating climate change, and protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.

Photo by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash

When we waste food, we also waste soil, water, and energy. In other words, we waste all of the resources used for its production, processing, packing, storage, transportation, and selling (2, 3).

In conclusion, when we waste food we:

• Produce methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. The release of methane from landfills contributes to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere.
• Waste the energy and resources used to grow, harvest, transport, and package food.
• Waste and pollute water. Food production contributes to water pollution.
• Danger to communities. Managing food waste poses challenges for waste management systems. When food scraps are sent to landfills, they take up valuable space and can produce odors and attract pests. Inadequate waste management practices can lead to environmental pollution and health hazards for nearby communities.

Most of the wasted food comes from homes, about 65% of it. A big chunk of this food doesn't have to become waste. It's anywhere from 13% to 59% of the total waste (4, 5). So, if we're careful, we can stop a lot of this waste from happening.

Photo by Nathan Cowley: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-slicing-gourd-1153369/

Even peels or bones don't have to go to waste. We can do something called composting and make a sustainable fertilizer for our plants. So, we can recycle it instead of throwing it in the trash.

Fixing this problem isn't easy, but it's worth it. If we focus on reducing waste at home, it can have an impact globally. It can help cut down on pollution and save our natural resources.

 

How to prevent food waste

Food waste happens because of how we plan, buy, store, cook, and eat our food at home. To waste less food, we need to change our behavior from the planning meals stage to the eating stage.

So, by changing what we do, we can make less food go to waste at home.

Let's observe each of these stages.

How to reduce food waste in the planning stage:

1. Plan meals (6). Planning is a great way to ensure that you are on a healthy diet. Also, it saves money because you will not buy too much food. Meal planning allows you to incorporate leftovers from one meal into another.
2. Check household supplies (7). Before heading to the store, check what you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer to avoid buying too much.
3. Make a shopping list (8). 
4. Communicate with your household members. To my husband: When I ask, "What do you want for dinner?" please avoid saying, "Whatever you want."
5. Don't ever go to the store hungry. Or even worse, avoid going to the store with your hungry husband :)

Photo by Jack Sparrow: https://www.pexels.com/photo/couple-buying-apples-4198222/

How to reduce food waste in the shopping stage:

1. Stick to your shopping list.
2. Avoid falling for marketing tricks such as limited editions, buy-one-get-one-free offers, and "today only" deals (9).
3. Shop more frequently. People who purchase food from local markets or grow their food tend to waste less than those who buy from supermarkets (10, 11, 12). 

How to store food properly and reduce food waste:

1. Learn about food labels. The ‘use by’ is the date until it is safe to use food, but you can freeze them before this date. The 'best before' label gives you an impression of how long foods will last before they lose quality (aroma, taste, and appearance). Various foods after their ‘best before’ date are safe to eat, but their quality may have declined.
2. Keep your fridge clean.
3. Organize your fridge: Arrange items in your fridge in a way that makes them visible and easily accessible. Store perishable items like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meats at eye level so you use them before they spoil. Keep older items in front and newer items towards the back to ensure nothing gets lost or forgotten.
4. Learn how to store food safely. Properly storing food helps prevent foodborne illnesses and reduce food waste (13). FDA has tips for proper food storage: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely

Photo by Ello on Unsplash

Why do we prepare and serve too much food?

1. Fear of running out: We may worry about the lack of food to feed everyone, so we prepare more than necessary.
2. Social expectations: There may be social pressure to provide abundant food when hosting guests or attending gatherings. We want to impress others or demonstrate hospitality, leading to excess food.
3. Lack of meal planning: Without proper meal planning, we may not accurately estimate portion sizes or plan meals based on the number of people eating, resulting in excess food preparation.
4. Bulk purchasing: Buying in bulk or taking advantage of sales may lead to having more ingredients than needed, prompting us to cook larger quantities of food.
5. Family habits: Family traditions or habits of cooking large meals may contribute to over-preparing food, even if the number of people eating has decreased.
6. Food advertising and marketing: Influential marketing tactics, such as enticing promotions or larger portion sizes portrayed as desirable, can influence our perception of how much food is appropriate to prepare and serve.

Photo by Alexy Almond: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-potatoes-on-porcelain-tray-3758133/

Even if we plan meals and go to the supermarket with a shopping list, we can sometimes prepare too much or serve more than our household members or guests can eat. Hence, that is a time to get creative with leftovers. Experiment with ways to use leftovers in new dishes. Leftover vegetables are great for soups, stir-fries, or omelets. Leftover proteins are excellent for sandwiches, wraps, or salads. Also, avoid spoiling your husbands and kids so they are willing to eat the same food for two days!

Summary

Two common behaviors that lead to food waste are buying too much food and not finishing leftovers. These are areas where we can make changes to reduce waste, especially when it comes to how consumers interact with stores. Often, people don't feel pressured to avoid waste. Also, they don't feel much benefit or pleasure from trying to reduce it (14).

Reducing food waste is good for our planet in many ways. First, it helps us save resources, water, soil, and energy. When we waste food, we also waste these resources. Second, cutting down on food waste helps us fight climate change because our food waste produces methane, a greenhouse gas.

Reducing food waste is good for our health since we plan our meals.

Lastly, reducing food waste is good for our wallets. We save money when we buy less food and use up what we have. Plus, we can get creative with leftovers and make tasty meals without spending extra money.

I hope I have given you enough reasons to stop wasting food. Be a great manager in your kitchen. Some of this advice may seem overwhelming at first, but it gets easier with practice.

May your zero-waste meal planning be fun and rewarding, as you discover new ways to enjoy delicious meals while becoming sustainable.

Feel free to write about your problems with food waste reductions. We can solve everything together!