5 Ways to Reduce Food Waste

On average 1.3 billion tons of edible food, that can feed three billion people, is wasted every year by corporations, according to earth.org. These corporations include the agriculture industry (like Monsanto), food processing companies, and supermarkets. 

If the total amount of greenhouse gasses emitted by food waste represented a country’s carbon emissions, that country would be the third-highest greenhouse gas emitting country in the world, behind China and the United States, respectively. These statistics show the shocking truth behind the astronomical amounts of viable food that are wasted each year, and while the food industry is at fault for the majority of uneaten food, there are some things consumers can do at home to lessen the amount of food that is wasted per year. 

1. Make A Shopping List

Believe it or not, one of the oldest shopping tips in the book is also one way to reduce food waste. By creating a shopping list and sticking to it in the store, you can reduce the number of unnecessary items that otherwise would end up in your grocery cart. Creating a list, which includes planning out meals and recipes, helps us categorize what we need and what we want so that there are surprises at checkout and everything that is purchased can be used efficiently and before its expiration date. 

2. Buy “Ugly” Fruits and Vegetables 

One of the biggest reasons that food- especially produce- is destroyed, thrown out, or left to rot is a result of mainstream ignorance in westernized nations that emphasizes the need for food to look “perfect”. Every year, $160 billion in products is discarded by both consumers and companies due to the fact they are blemished or misshapen. 50% of produce (equivalent to 60 million tons of produce) is thrown away by Americans every year because it is too “ugly” to be sold to a consumer. The irony is that produce harvested in areas where hunger is prevalent is still destroyed to preserve the profit margins of the harvesters and exporters. 

When someone intercepts a blemished fruit or vegetable from being thrown away by purchasing it, it can then go on to be used for the same purposes as “normal” looking fruits and vegetables. Perhaps if more people learn to not judge a piece of fruit by its appearance, then supermarkets would be willing to reverse their policies of tossing out perfectly good produce. 

Companies, such as Misfits Market, have attempted to cut down on the food waste generated by “ugly” fruits and vegetables by purchasing, then selling, fruits or vegetables that are not deemed as “beautiful” for discounted prices. Misfits Market aims to cut down on global food waste, all while making eating healthy produce cheaper and easier. 

3. Adjust Your Refrigerator Temperature

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is optimal to keep refrigerators at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to maintain food freshness. Freezers should be kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure food is frozen properly. Maintaining the correct temperature for your appliances is as economically beneficial as it is environmentally clever. That’s because the right temp will decrease the likelihood of food spoiling which means that groceries will last longer and more meals can be made without having to return to the store for a missing ingredient. 

It should be noted that more than 30 million Americans live in food deserts as a result of income inequality, poor transportation, and other contributing factors that make it hard to reach the grocery store. For this reason, it is even more important to check if household appliances are set to the right temperature. The difference can be felt in the amount of nourishment and food accessibility available from the time groceries are purchased to the next trip to the store. 

The FoodKeeper app measures how long certain food items can stay in the refrigerator or freezer before going bad by tracking the expiration date. It helps users make decisions on what foods need to be eaten first and prevents food from ending up in the trash by reminding users what food they have. A common reason food goes bad is due to improper storage and forgetfulness. Oftentimes we forget what we purchased and it can remain in the back of the pantry or fridge unseen for weeks. By the time we remember and search for it, it has already spoiled.

4. Create a Space For A Composter

When food does go bad, especially produce, composting is a  way to prevent it from ending up in a landfill and contributing to the global food waste conundrum. Compost is a mixture of biodegradable items, such as food scraps, paper products, and most outdoor vegetation aka leaves that are combined in a designated bin and left to decompose naturally into nutrient-rich soil.

There are many ways to create your own compost. You can designate a bin in your kitchen or a space in your yard where you put all your food scraps and other produce items. On the other hand, you can just periodically add food scraps to your garden so they can decompose and add nutrients to your soil. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has resources to assist those who are interested in composting. 

5. Ignore the “Best If Used By” Label

One common staple on most perishable foods is the “best if used by the label”, and although most people assume that date is the expiration date of the product, they are oftentimes incorrect. The misinformation surrounding the “best by” dates on food contributes to around 20% of the global food waste problem. This issue can be solved by understanding what the date on perishable foods means. 

The FDA urges consumers to refrain from throwing out perishable food that passes the “best if used by” date unless there is a change in the “color, consistency, or texture” of the product. Even the phrase “expiration date” also represents an approximate guideline for when food is no longer good to eat. The FDA urges consumers to use the dates on the packaging of foods as simply an approximation for when the product may no longer be as fresh as it was when it was bought and should be checked by the consumer before eating it. 

In conclusion, there are a variety of steps that can be taken to lessen our impact on global food waste including just changing the way we look at perishable foods. Whether it be choosing ugly fruits at the market or viewing the “best by” date more as an advisory, these 5 tips can be used by everybody who is wanting to be more intentional with their food purchases and save money on their grocery bill while also reducing their food’s carbon footprint.