Reduce your home’s food waste with these easy tips and tricks

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The kitchen is the heart of every home, which makes it the perfect place to start making changes if you’re looking to take on a more sustainable lifestyle! In this episode of Green Living, host Lauren Singer (@trashisfortossers) shares her go-to strategies and products that can help you reduce food waste and adopt more eco-friendly practices in the kitchen. From composting to preserving to changing how you shop, these sustainable kitchen tips are easy to implement into your daily routine.

Only Buy What You Need at the Grocery Store

By keeping track of what you already have in your fridge, you can use your trips to the grocery store to stock up only on food that you really need for the week.

“I know that when we get to the store it’s so easy to get tempted and buy all of the things that look amazing,” says Singer. “But the most expensive and environmentally harmful food that we buy is the food that we throw away.” Being prepared and only buying essentials will save you money and help you reduce waste in the kitchen.

Compost

Composting is one of Singer’s favorite at-home, eco-friendly practices. Many communities have composting regulations that make composting convenient and easy to start. “I am the biggest fan of composting,” says the host. “I truly believe that it should be as readily available of a service as trash is.”

Use Proper Food Storage

One easy way to reduce food waste is to make sure you’re storing your food correctly, which Singer says will lead to “longer lasting and fresher produce.”

To store fresh herbs, trim off the stems and place the leaves in a glass jar that’s filled halfway with water. This will help keep your herbs nice and fresh for a longer period of time.

For larger veggies like carrots and celery, Singer suggests slicing off (and composting!) the ends, then slicing them in half and storing the pieces in a large glass bowl filled halfway with water.

To prevent avocados from browning, Singer likes to wrap the unused half in beeswax wrap. “It’s the perfect alternative to that thin, plastic wrap that we use for food storage,” says Singer.

Bring Your Own Produce Bags to the Grocery Store

Instead of buying pre-packaged produce which often use plastic containers or plastic bags, bring some Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags with you to store your produce. “They work just as well as their plastic counterparts,” says Singer.

If Possible, Buy Local or Grow Your Own Produce

“I love buying local from farmers markets or opting for some regional produce instead of buying from far away,” says Singer. “But that’s not accessible to everyone.” If you don’t have access to local food, Singer suggests avoiding pre-packaged produce to cut down on waste and save money,

Instead of buying pre-packaged herbs, Singer recommends trying to grow your own herbs at home. Mini herb gardens take up very little space, and will give you access to tasty herbs like basil and mint. Plus, if you ever have extra herbs, you can freeze them to use on a later date!

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