Honor Earth Day by reducing food waste

By Sarah Lerohl

Rich, juicy, crispy, crunchy food powers our minds and bodies, transforming the energy of the sun and the nutrients in the soil into (delicious) bundles of energy. Honor Earth Day, every day, by reducing wasted food.

Any eater can attest that food shopping and preparation is a big part of the household budget and daily agenda, but growing food, harvesting, processing and distributing it uses a lot of energy on the global scale. Wasting food is also wasting time, land, energy, and water. Since much of the energy used in the food production system is derived from fossil fuels, wasted food contributes to harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

“Wasted food” is food that isn’t used for its intended purpose, and we look to the US EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy to understand how we as consumers can derive the very most energy and value from any food that doesn’t end up in a belly.

At the top of the hierarchy is Source Reduction, where we find our most powerful tools as consumers. Here in the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, 19% of the waste we deliver to the landfill is food waste, and a good portion of that waste should have been eaten in the first place. Buy only what you need, and use it up! It seems so simple but there are plenty of distractions in everyday life to trip up even those with the best of intentions.

Menu planning and inventory

Go to the store or market knowing your household preferences and what’s already stocked in the fridge, pantry, and cupboards to avoid buying items no one will eat, or duplicating what you already have. Meal planning in advance, with the help of flyers or sales information, saves money and ensures everything in the basket has a purpose.

Thoughtful purchasing

There’s something extra alluring about a massive amount of fresh produce. Resist the urge to make bulk purchases of perishables unless you absolutely have a plan: freezing, canning, and drying are all great options for food preservation but they take time and effort, and impeccable timing.

Leftovers and creative cooking

To reduce the amount of food waste you and your family generate, be thoughtful about knowing your food inventory, planning your meals, purchasing, and using leftovers creatively.

A system for tracking leftovers is helpful to keep little containers of yum front-of-fridge and front-of-mind. Consider keeping a tub or drawer dedicated to the purpose, or jot a quick note as a reminder. Expand your recipes and routine to include leftovers in whatever capacity you can, adding stir-fry, casseroles, quiche, smoothies and other dishes to the rotation that can easily incorporate perishables. Embrace cooking soups and stocks that can use up odds and ends, or best yet: cook and serve the right amount to avoid leftovers if they aren’t a favored ingredient.

Share

Reach out to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers if you find yourself with more on your hands than you need. You might be surprised how welcome it is. While food donation programs help connect grocery stores and restaurants to food shelves and soup kitchens, informal networks in communities can make a big difference too.

Lower on the Food Recovery Hierarchy, after food is used for people or animals, is diverting food scraps for beneficial reuse like composting. For a relatively lower-effort alternative to backyard composting, turn to WLSSD’s largescale compost facility to make the most from your food scraps. Our community Food Scrap Drop Site program has eight locations where residents can drop off anything that is or was edible, including raw and cooked food, meat, fish, bones, fruits, veggies, peels and pits, cheese, breads, pasta, etc.

Bag up scraps using certified compostable bags (available at staffed drop sites a few at a time, or for purchase at area businesses) and drop off as a last-ditch effort to keep this valuable resource out of the landfill. The compost that emerges on the other end of the process is available for purchase as a soil amendment, preventing the production of greenhouse gases in the landfill as food decomposes while providing soils with a needed boost. Learn more at wlssd. com. D