Every year 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That is equivalent to 130 billion meals being thrown away each year. Food loss coming from our homes makes up about 39% of all food waste. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to lower this number! Follow these simple strategies to reduce your food waste at home.

1. Make a shopping list with meals in mind. Be sure to use the ingredients that you already have at home. When shopping, stick to your list and be purposeful about what you put in your cart.
2. Organize your fridge and pantry. Knowing exactly what you have will make planning your meals easier.
3. Eat older food first. Mark your food items with a reminder of when they need to be consumed or designate a specific area in the fridge for older items. Remember best by and sell by dates are just recommendations! Use your nose and eyes instead to determine freshness.
4. Buy less at a time. Control the amount of food items you have in your kitchen. Think about how much food you will need for one or two weeks.
5. Use your freezer. Keep foods from spoiling by placing them in the freezer. Try freezing cut-up produce that is getting older and use them for soups, stews, or smoothies.
6. Reuse your leftovers. If you get tired of having the same leftovers, try making something new out of them. There are plenty of recipes to rework your leftovers into something you love.
7. Donate edible food to local charities. Check out our guide for donating food in your community.
8. Compost your scraps! Check out our guide for composting at home or at one of our facilities.

Feel free to give us a call at 802-524-5986 if you would like more information and pointers on how to reduce your food waste!