Most of us throw out more food than we realize. When food goes in the garbage, it costs us money and creates greenhouse gases in the landfill. These gases harm our climate.
Food Waste Action Week, which runs today through March 13, is a great time to start a simple habit that helps you waste less food at home.
Even one small change can make a big difference.
Why reducing food waste matters
Wasting food creates greenhouse gases in the landfill, and these gases harm our climate. Reducing food waste is a simple way to support Winnipeg’s climate action goals.
Most food waste happens at home, so small daily habits can make a big difference. Using the food you buy also helps you save money because less of your grocery budget ends up in the garbage.
“Keeping food out of the trash reduces the amount of waste going to Winnipeg’s landfill and helps protect our environment now and in the future,” said Danny Powell, Sustainability Planner with Winnipeg’s Office of Sustainability and coordinator of the Winnipeg Food Council.
Easy ways to waste less food
Here are some easy tips to help you start reducing your food waste:
Plan ahead
- Once a week, spend some time planning meals for the upcoming week.
- Check your fridge, freezer and cupboards before shopping. See what needs to be used up and then think of a meal to make with those items.
- To preserve freshness and nutrition, use perishables like seafood and meat earlier in the week and save staples (pasta, dairy, eggs) for later in the week.
- Buy fresh vegetables in smaller amounts and use frozen vegetables to fill in the gaps.
Keep it fresh
- Keep food fresh longer by storing it in the correct place and setting the temperature in your fridge to 4°C or lower.
- Set one produce drawer to high humidity to store vegetables that wilt, like leafy greens. Set another produce drawer to low humidity for fruits and some vegetables that last longer in your fridge, like apples and peppers.
- Freeze items to make them last longer. Bread can last up to three months in the freezer, chicken can last up to nine months and most vegetables can be frozen for eight months to a year.
Use it up
- Soak wilted vegetables like celery, lettuce, broccoli, or carrots in a bowl of ice water for five to 10 minutes to perk them up.
- Fruits and vegetables past their prime are not only great in smoothies, but also taste great in baked, stir-fried and grilled dishes.
- A best before date is not the same as an expiration date. If a package has remained unopened, even after the best before date, it can still be of good quality and freshness, as long as it has been stored properly.
- Learn or create new recipes which allow you to use the entire food, such as making chips from potato peels or pesto with carrot tops.
- Try pickling to preserve fruits and vegetables for a later day.
- Compost whatever produce you can’t use or reinvigorate.
Drop off your food waste at a City depot
If you want to keep even more food waste out of the landfill, you can bring it to a food waste drop off station.
You can bring these items:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Bread, grains, and pasta
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Eggshells
- Yard waste like leaves and small branches
The food waste collected at these depots is turned into compost instead of going to the landfill. Just make sure to check the locations, hours, and what you can bring before heading out.