3 minute read
Reduce household food waste
Reduce household food waste
Simple strategies can help you eat well and save money
By Sarah Alessio Shea
What accounts for the largest portion of American trash by weight?
Food.
Wasted food totals more than 66 million tons a year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Individual households generate approximately 40% of the discarded food.
In landfills, food waste produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
You can significantly decrease the amount of food you toss by using simple strategies such as:
Planning meals
Freezing food before it spoils
Eating leftovers
Donating excess catered meals
Making shopping lists
The first step is to begin noticing how you currently handle food, from what you purchase to what you toss. Then you can develop a strategy to address a few large areas for improvement.
You’ll be surprised how a bit of planning, a few new tools and a fresh outlook can set you on the path toward less food waste.
Reasons to Reduce Food Waste
Wasted food is not only an enormous environmental problem but also an important social issue, with one in 11 Pennsylvanians experiencing food insecurity.
Land, water, energy and labor go into growing, storing, processing, distributing and preparing food. Resources are squandered when food never reaches the table.
Reducing food waste can save you money. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, households could save $370 per person annually by decreasing food waste.
Take Action
You can implement easy, practical and focused methods to prevent and reduce food waste.
The nonprofit Pennsylvania Resources Council's “Stop Food Waste” campaign, supported by the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, provides hands-on strategies for meal planning, food storage and more.
Visit prc.org/kitchen to register for free webinars and access resources to help reduce food waste. For example, you can:
Take part in PRC’s Creativity in the Kitchen webinar. Learn to reduce food waste in your kitchen, and discover recipes focused on food scraps and leftovers. Sessions are available in November.
Find strategies for reducing food waste. Topics include leftovers, food storage, food sharing and more.
For food that ends up needing to be discarded, consider composting at home. Many composting methods are available, from backyard bins to curbside collection services.
We can stop food waste one decision at a time. Although food waste is a huge global problem, we each can take action every day to stem the tide.
Many small actions can add up to make one big impact.
