According to ADEME, nearly 10 million tonnes of edible food are wasted and end up in the trash every year. This represents no less than 150kg per person per year. It is truly appalling when you know that in France, 1 in 10 people struggle to feed themselves… What's more, food waste has a real environmental impact: if food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest CO2 emitter after China and the United States! But good news, this food waste can be avoided! Just implement a few simple actions in your daily life and you will be able to reduce your food waste, while making great savings. Here they are:
Food waste starts at the grocery store!
1/ Plan your meals for the week
Before going shopping, think about what you want to eat and create a weekly menu. You can use meal planning apps such as JOW. It is super easy to use and even takes into account your dietary habits (vegan, seasonal, budget-friendly, etc.). It generates a shopping list that you can then connect to your local Drive. This will allow you to buy the right amount of food you need and above all stick to your food budget.
2/ Opt for ugly fruits and vegetables
Most fruits and vegetables thrown in the trash are those that have bumps, holes, or spots. They may not be very attractive, but they contain exactly the same nutritional value as those that are beautiful and uniform. By choosing to buy "ugly" fruits and vegetables you help to reduce food waste and you can even negotiate a small discount with your grocer (especially on ripe bananas). Some stores even offer a "promo" section where you can find slightly "past-their-prime" fruits and vegetables that you can turn into jam or soup!
3/ Scavenge after the markets
Did you know that you could get free fruits and vegetables or get them for almost nothing? Go for a walk at the end of the farmers' markets, you can leave with crates of tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables that would normally have been thrown away.
How to reduce food waste at home
Cook fresh and organic vegetables from the market with their skin.
4/ Cook fruits and vegetables with their skin
Prefer to buy your fruits and vegetables organic, so you can cook them with their skin, which is also rich in good nutrients. To do this, rinse, brush, and scrape the skin of your food to get rid of dust, some germs, and traces of handling between harvest and consumption.
5/ Reuse your peelings in anti-waste recipes
If you still have peelings left, you can always cook them! For example, with potato peelings you can make delicious homemade chips, turn your squash peelings into delicious autumn jam, or even recycle your banana skins into fertilizer for your plants… There are hundreds of original ways to reuse peelings and this will allow you to reduce food waste while trying new homemade recipes!
6/ Cook leftovers
We don't always know how to cook disparate products in the fridge or meal leftovers and unfortunately they end up in the trash… But thanks to the Frigo Magic app, you can then cook with what you have left in your fridge or cupboards. This way you will be less tempted to buy new products. But if you already plan your meals for the week with JOW, normally, you won't have any extra products that risk ending up in the trash.
7/ Freeze leftovers
Another tip to reduce waste is to freeze your leftovers before they expire: bread, prepared dishes, fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. You can then use them anytime!
Organizing your fridge well allows you to control the consumption order
of food and reduce waste
of food and reduce waste
8/ Organize your fridge well
Who has never forgotten leftovers or a yogurt pot at the back of their fridge? To avoid this waste, it is important to know how to organize your fridge and how to maintain it. Clean your fridge regularly to prevent the growth of germs. Then, when you get back from shopping, store your food in the order it arrived. If you plan your meals for the week, start by cooking the dishes whose products expire the fastest. To keep your food in the most optimal way, store it by temperature. Indeed, each food will have its comfort zone in the fridge. Thus, all dairy products will go in the top of the fridge. Meats, fish, products being defrosted, and prepared dishes, in the bottom compartment. Cooked fruits and vegetables, and fresh vegetables are stored in the lower part of the fridge.
9/ Know the difference between the best-before date and the expiration date
It is a key step to adopt, because many poorly analyzed products end up in the trash when they could still be consumed. The expiration date (Date Limite de Consommation) says "consume before..." past this date, there will be a health risk. Whereas the best-before date (Date de Durabilité Minimale) says "best before..." This means that the food can still be consumed beyond this date without any risk to your health ! Also note carefully the opening dates on yogurt pots and milk bottles. This will help you know when you have passed the limit.
Act collectively against food waste
10/ Give to your neighbors
Use the Geev app to give or find food for free, from individuals near you. This can be a surplus from your vegetable garden, a slice of cake, etc. If you plan to go on vacation, do not hesitate to go ring your neighbors' doorbell to offer them your groceries, you will surely make happy people and great encounters.
11/ Use anti-waste applications at stores
In recent years, many smartphone applications have emerged to help us reduce food waste. The best known: Too good to go. It offers you to buy at mini prices the unsold products from local partner stores and supermarkets. You can thus save a lot of surprise baskets while making savings! Other apps exist like Optimiam, Zéro gâchis, Phoenix. To test!
12/ Ask for a doggy bag or offer one
When we have had bigger eyes than our stomach at the restaurant, we can ask to take back our leftovers with a doggy bag. Same, if you receive friends for a dinner at home, offer them a doggy bag. These are so many little dishes that will not end up in the trash!
Bonus: these brands that recycle food waste
To finish, did you know that some players are also getting into food waste recycling ?
This is the case of the cosmetic brand Kadalys which recycles rotten or expired bananas to make 100% natural cosmetics.
Also, the brand Zèta recycles grape waste from wine production (skin, seeds, residues), to create a flexible material with a grained appearance, an alternative to animal leather for 100% vegan unisex sneakers.
And you, what are your favorite tips to fight food waste? Do you know other eco-responsible brands that recycle organic waste?
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Article written by Efi from the Maman Zéro Déchet blog
Find all the anti-waste and zero-waste tips and tricks on www.mamanzerodechet.com. You can even download the e-book "10 simple, quick, and inexpensive tips to reduce your waste and save money" for free!
