We’ve all been told to “eat up, there are starving children all over the world,” yet somehow we are still wasting more food than every other country. Food waste is a global problem, with a simple solution. Here’s how you can stop wasting food, save money and resources, and minimize the trash.
Wasted food in America
In American, food is something we take for granted. In fact, the US is the world leader in food waste. The US wastes roughly 50% of all food produced for consumption. We need to start respecting food and our planet and start minimizing food waste.
Buy better produce
One of the biggest reasons that we feel okay wasting food on a daily basis, is the cost. Cheap foods available at the push of a button means that we’ve stopped valuing food. If we start to buy better, more expensive products, like going to farmers markets, we will start to respect it more. If something is costing us money, we will start thinking twice about throwing away food.
Ugly delicious
We also need to stop being so picky about the way our food looks. A bruised apple is still delicious. Carrots that have gone a little soft will still make a very tasty stock for cooking. And, when veggies are on their last legs, the flavors are still there for one last stew or soup. We need to stop throwing things away because they don’t look perfect.
Be more creative in the kitchen
Instead of throwing out oddly paired ingredients, see if you can’t get more creative in the kitchen. Use ingredients that you wouldn’t normally pair together and see if you don’t come up with something delicious and exciting. And, always make sure to save meat bones from chicken and beef for homemade stocks.
Minimize waste for a better planet
Being better at using everything you buy and not throwing anything away is going to stretch your grocery budget. Plus, cooking at home is normally a much healthier meal and can save you money on future medical bills. You also protect the environment by minimizing waste and reducing the trash we throw in landfills. Another problem with food waste is rodents and bugs and bacteria. Minimizing food waste is good for the air, good for the land, and good for the population.
Sunrise Sanitation has been providing waste management services to private residences and businesses in West Virginia and Maryland. We’ve free 24/7 recycling centers and have been acknowledged for our sustainable waste management efforts.
