Written by Claire 2022 Cohort
Are you still remember what’s actually in the fridge or which items are still safe to eat? For I can not answer this question correctly because, as a supermarket lover, I can’t help myself buying too much food. However, If I can’t store it correctly, this will eventually lead to food waste. I will feel sentimental about the earth and my wallet when I throw the food into the trash bin. So I decided to research tips to help people like me reduce food waste.
According to National Zero Waste Council research on household food waste in Canada, over 63% of the food Canadians throw away that could have been eaten. Food leftovers like bones, eggshells, teabags, fruit cores and peels should be repurposed. Meanwhile, it’s estimated that avoidable food waste costs the average Canadian household over 1300 CAD per year. After doing this research, I was shocked and started to think about finding some tips for reducing food waste as much as possible.
I would like to share four tips to help people reduce food waste as a consequence.
- A Shopping list to plan. It will help you restock food and prepare meals efficiently. And you can review their shopping history and learn from mistakes.
- Store food correctly. Keep food fresh longer by storing it correctly and setting the temperature in your fridge to 4°C or lower.
- Thirdly, set a reminder for the food expiration date. It will help you better organize food and never miss its expiration date.
- Last, use a map to donate food to an organization nearby. Food donations to organizations that offer low-cost meals are a fantastic method for reducing food waste and aiding those in urgent need.
Food waste reduction is a long-term problem; it is not only a local issue, but this is also a significant problem people face all over the world. The Executive Director of UNEP pointed out that “(…) if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions”. Each of us can make a list before a shopping trip, store our food well afterwards, donate food to the community and develop good habits. In this way, each family can reduce waste and make a significant effort to protect the environment.
Source:
Food waste in the home: https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/about/food-waste/
Food waste: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/long-term-waste-strategy/waste-reduction/food-waste/
Food donations: https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/prevent-food-waste.aspx