Tee Cee's Tip
DEAR TEE CEE >> I read an article the other day about food waste, and it was really eye-opening. The author made the point that, while composting is critical to diverting food waste from the landfill, it is even better for the environment to reduce the amount of wasted food in the first place. Any tips on reducing food waste? — PJ
DEAR PJ >> Food waste is, indeed, a preventable waste of water, agricultural land, resources, labor and a significant contributor to climate change. According to the United Nations Environment Program, if food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, behind the U.S. and China. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, we’re wasting between 15% and 25% of the food we’re buying, essentially the equivalent of walking out of a grocery store with four bags of groceries, dropping one in the parking lot and leaving it behind. That’s expensive, especially with food prices these days!
You’re right — it’s not enough to simply compost it. Reducing food waste is good for the environment, and it saves you a lot of money. According to the NRDC, up to 40% of food is wasted in the U.S., yet 1 in 8 Americans is food insecure.
There’s often discussion about food waste around the holiday season,
but this is an environmental issue that we can act on year-round. While food waste is an enormous, systemic problem, here are a few tips to help reduce food waste in your household: TRUST YOUR SENSES OVER
DATE LABELS >> Unsafe food will smell, look and definitely taste off. The human body has evolved over millions of years to reject food and drinks that might make us sick. One episode of NPR’S “Planet Money,” titled “Best By, Sell By, Use By,” examined the issue of inconsistent expiration labeling dates and found dozens of different types of date labels for food. USE A SHOPPING LIST AND PLAN AHEAD >> Nothing in your fridge will go to waste if you have a plan for how to use it. PUT YOUR FREEZER TO USE AS A TIME MACHINE >> Fruit and veggies can always be frozen for future meals to delay their expiration.
STORE LEFTOVERS >> Use see-through containers labeled with a date so you don’t forget they’re there. Even better, keep a dry erase board on the fridge door to remind yourself of what you put in the fridge and when.
GET CONNECTED LOCALLY >>
Longmont Food Rescue is a local nonprofit that aims to create a just and equitable food system. Learn more and find volunteer opportunities at longmontfoodrescue.org.
Learn more about reducing food waste at nrdc.org/food-waste. — Tee Cee