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Being a resourceful shopper and keeping your groceries fresh has a significant effect not just on your wallet, but also on the planet.
About 40% of all food produced in the United States goes unsold or uneaten, and food waste accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions. While the biggest food waste concerns are at the institutional level — farms, grocery stores, distribution networks — you can still make a difference in your own home. Here are 10 steps to get started:
Plan ahead
Keep a list of what you already have in your fridge so that you don’t forget items and buy more than you need, and have a menu in mind before going shopping so you only buy what you will definitely use.
Put scraps to use
Collect onion and garlic peels, carrot tops, celery ends, and leftover veggies and put them in a bag in the freezer. When the bag gets full, put its contents into a soup pot, cover with water, season to taste with herbs, salt, and pepper, and boil to make a delicious homemade broth.
Keep track of leftovers
Put leftovers in clear glass containers with the date written on them. Being able to see into the container and knowing when you put them in the fridge will make it more likely you’ll eat them before they go bad.
Learn what to keep separate
Certain types of produce are not compatible when it comes to longevity. The key is storing ethylene-producing foods (like bananas, tomatoes, and apples) and ethylene-sensitive items (like broccoli and carrots) separately.
Store certain produce in water
Herbs, asparagus, and green onions should be treated like a bouquet of flowers: Remove rubber bands and place the stalks in a cup of water (about one inch deep) before placing them in the refrigerator (change the water regularly). Carrots and celery keep best submerged in water in a sealed container: Cut the tops off of whole carrots before putting them in water, and compost the tops or use them in pesto.
Know what to store in the fridge versus the countertop
Some items, such as onions, potatoes, and bananas, are best stored on countertops. Citrus fruit actually keeps better in the fridge, as it starts decomposing if it sits out.
Wash and dry some produce before refrigeration
Berries should be washed in a 1:5 mixture of vinegar and water to kill bacteria and prevent mold; make sure they are thoroughly dry before putting them in a towel-lined container in the fridge. To prevent leafy greens from wilting too quickly, rinse and dry them completely, then roll them in a towel and put them in the fridge.
Use the freezer
Get in the habit of putting food that’s about to go bad in the freezer. You can use it later for smoothies and soups.
Listen to your senses more than best by dates
Food is not always bad if it’s past the best by date. If it looks, smells, and feels edible, try a bite.
Some local resources from our Bluedot locations
Santa Barbara
Help others and avoid food waste by donating food and scraps to a local organization.
• Bring food in good condition to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
• Donate food scraps to animals at Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter, Lil’ Orphan Hammies, and the Santa Barbara Zoo, which also needs certain plant clippings.
Toronto
Be One To Give (B12Give) is an app that helps redirect unused food from retailers to community partners to eliminate avoidable food waste along the supply chain.
Feed It Forward has created an app where people anywhere in the world can offer or receive free food — retailers, markets, restaurants, and even home cooks. They also have a pay-what-you-can grocery store in the Junction neighbourhood.
