You might be surprised to learn that on average, each person wastes 76kg/167 pounds of food every year. Imagine purchasing 167 one pound bags of potatoes only to put them directly from your grocery cart into your garbage.
Think of all the energy and resources that were used up to get the potatoes into your home - growing, processing, storing and transporting.
Not only is that a waste of resources, but it is a waste of your money. And food that is not consumed most often ends up in landfills, where its decomposition produces methane gas, a very damaging greenhouse gas.
In all the analysis done around food waste, it is noted that our individual actions make a impact. And the more connected you are with your community and work with others, the larger the collective impact.
So what can you do?
Here are some ideas to help reduce your personal food waste.
- Plan meals in advance to reduce food waste
- Shop your cupboards before heading to the grocery store to ensure food purchased is food needed
- Designate a ‘Eat Me First’ space in your refrigerator
- Have weekly ‘Use this Up’ meal
- Understand what food labels (Best Before, Use By etc) mean
For even more ideas, read this Good Good Good article.
Want to test all that you’ve learned this week? Take this quiz.
Want to continue to learn about food waste? This article offers even more to think about.