Smart and Easy Ways Minimize Food Waste

In the United States, food waste accounts for 67% of all waste that is hauled to landfills. No matter how good recycling efforts may be in other areas, there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to food waste. When people think of food waste, they usually think of table scraps. However, there are other culprits as well. Spoiled foods like overripe produce and moldy bread often wind up in the trash. Coffee filters, coffee grounds, and tea bags are also regularly discarded. Taken together, these organic materials create tons of unnecessary landfill waste each year. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to help minimize food waste in your own home.

First, only buy what you will actually eat. Most families buy far more food than they can reasonably consume before it goes bad. To help reduce uneaten foods, buy smaller quantities of specialty foods from the bulk bins. Not only will you assure that you have just enough to make that new recipe, you will also save some money in the process.

Meal planning is another way to control the amounts of food you purchase. By planning several meals that use similar fresh ingredients, you can use up perishables before they go to waste. Finally, composting is a great way to put those discarded table scraps, egg shells, coffee filters and grounds, and the occasional piece of moldy bread to good use. See the infographic for even more facts about food waste and how you can help.